World War I, the result of high tensions in Europe and a catalyst for World War II. Those who know anything about WWI from personal research or history class know the name Kaiser Wilhelm II. He was the last German Kaiser and King of Prussia and took a large portion of the blame for WWI. And those currently learning about the Great Depression should know that WWI played a role for this era.
WWI was not caused by one event or party, however people still examine the Kaiser’s actions to determine where things went wrong.
A major player were his poor public relation skills severed all connections between him and the major world powers. This fault also compounded onto other matters since public opinions were so low.
Another factor was Wilhelm’s familial connections to the major world powers, via the British Royal Family. The British Royal family, while not the most inbred family to exist, has its ties in many other European monarchies. Political marriages were often used for treaties, influence, and to avoid war in the future. Differing views and stronger loyalties to one's new country inevitably drove wedges.
Queen Victoria was adamant on her offspring marrying into good families, which made the options limited for her nine children. Her eldest daughter, Princess Victoria, married the heir to the Prussian throne, Prince Frederick III. They had eight children, the eldest being Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert von Hohenzollern.
On January 27, 1859 Wilhelm was born with a crippled left arm, due to complications. This became a point of insecurity throughout the rest of his life. Unlike his mother, who was
raised by her parents which is unusual for the time, he was raised by a governess. He was subjected to harsh treatment like electroshock.
Queen Victoria adored her eldest grandchild and he loved her back. Despite this, Wilhelm hated the British and his mother. He was a temperamental child. At the age of eight, he was forced to learn how to ride a horse, falling repeatedly due to his withered arm.
By the time he was twelve the German Empire was formed, making him the heir to two thrones. At thirteen, he was sent to Friedrichsgymnasium after spending his previous years being privately tutored. After graduating, he went to the University of Bonn to study law and politics.
At twenty one, he joined the military becoming First Lieutenant of the First Regiment of Foot Guards. Here he found a sense of family and nationalism, and gained a strong sense of the Prussian way of life. His conservative views grew further pushing him away from his liberal parents.
In 1881, Wilhelm married Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, or Dona as most people called her. They had seven children during their forty year marriage. Originally, Wilhelm had proposed to his first cousin, Elisabeth of Hesse-Darmstadt, but she rejected him.
Wilhelm ended up under the guidance of the Iron Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck. He was sent on diplomatic missions to other countries, which he was not good at. While in Russia, he offended Tsar Alexander III. His trip to Austria-Hungary went better since he was under the guidance of his grandfather.
On March 9, 1888, Kaiser Wilhelm I died and ninety nine days later, his son died of throat cancer. The thrones of two nations was passed to Wilhelm on June 15, 1888.
Wilhelm clashed with his advisors and two years later removed Bismarck from office. International relations further dropped with Bismarck’s removal. Wilhelm also put the country into rapid militarization with the obsession to create a large navy. Wilhelm did make improvements in education and pushed for more recognition of the arts and sciences.
The Kaiser’s support of Morocco in the second Boer War and his Daily Telegram Interview worsened public perception. Alternatively, he gained alliances with the Ottoman Empire and created a friendship with Franz-Ferdinand.
The Eulenburg-Harden Affair further damaged the Kaiser’s reputation. It involved members of his close friend circles, most notably Philip, Prince of Eulenburg, and journalist Maximilian Harden. Philip and others were framed as homosexuals, a major crime at the time. Wilhelm was deemed innocent in the whole matter, but rumors did spring up about him having illegitimate children.
The final nail in the international relations coffin was the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the spark that ignited WWI and cemented Wilhelm’s guilt in war. He gave his full support to Austria-Hungary in tracking down the Black Hand. He declared war on Russia and France in support of Austria-Hungary. Wilhelm did not approve of this action, but did it anyway. He was a shadow monarch, visiting the front lines and handing out medals. The true people in charge were Erich Ludendorff and later German President and Hitler supporter Paul von Hindenburg. Germany was effectively under military dictatorship.
By the conclusion of the war, Wilhelm was barred from the Versaille Peace Treaty and the people called for his abdication. The abdication was announced on November 9, 1918 without Wilhelm’s agreement and he fled the next day to the Netherlands, which had remained neutral. The other powers demanded that Wilhelm be handed over and Queen Wilhelmina, his second cousin, refused. Afterward, it was clear the Kaiser had lost not only the support of the people, but also the support of his advisors and the military. He officially abdicated on November 28, 1918.
The former Kaiser bought a manor house in the town of Doorn. In 1920, his son died and a year later his wife followed. The following year, he married Hermine Reuss of Greiz. She advocated for the restoration of the German monarchy. Wilhelm had a nice life in the Netherlands, hosting members of the upper class at his home.
During the rise of the Nazi party, Wilhelm disapproved, calling them thugs. He changed his tune once they started winning World War II. Hitler was not very fond of him and Wilhelm’s poor public relations skills didn’t help.
Finally on June 4, 1941 Wilhelm died of a pulmonary embolism. Hitler tried to have his body brought back to Germany, but was denied. Wilhelm was buried near his manor house.
Wilhelm II was the last German Kaiser and King of Prussia. Forever remembered for his part in WWI and leaving historians questioning why still to this day.
Sources: History Tea Time, History.com, Biographics, and The Great War
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