Kaiser Wilhelm: Austrian Or Not?

Kaiser Wilhelm II was not Austrian. He was the first grandson of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and was born in Berlin, Germany, on 27 January 1859. He was the German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888 until his abdication in 1918.

Kaiser Wilhelm II was not Austrian

Wilhelm II was King of Prussia and Emperor of Germany from 1888 until his abdication in 1918, which marked the end of the German Empire and the Hohenzollern dynasty's 300-year rule of Prussia. He was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia.

Wilhelm's reign saw the meteoric rise of Germany as an economic and military power, but also the fragmentation of Europe into opposing camps of mistrusting alliances, and ultimately, World War I. His complex character and actions played a significant part in this destructive process.

Wilhelm had a love-hate attitude towards Britain, which strained relations between the two countries. He was obsessed with enlarging the German Navy and had a pro-Boer stance during the Second Boer War. He also made blustering claims for German colonial expansion, which only served to bring Britain and France closer together.

During the July 1914 crisis, Wilhelm's rash assurance of unlimited support to Austria-Hungary was a significant contribution to the outbreak of World War I. He proved indecisive and ineffective as a war leader, and his presence proved an obstacle to peace negotiations. As a result, he was forced to abdicate on 9 November 1918 and fled to exile in the Netherlands, where he died in 1941.

He was King of Prussia and Emperor of Germany from 1888 to 1918

Kaiser Wilhelm II, born on 27 January 1859, was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888 until his abdication in 1918. He was the son of Prince Frederick William of Prussia and Princess Victoria, the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

Kaiser Wilhelm II succeeded his father, who became Kaiser Frederick III of Germany in March 1888. However, Frederick III's reign was short-lived as he died 99 days later due to throat cancer. On 15 June 1888, Wilhelm II became the German Emperor and King of Prussia at the age of 29.

During his reign, Wilhelm II was known for his bellicose "New Course" to establish Germany as a leading world power. He dismissed longtime Chancellor Otto von Bismarck and assumed direct control over his nation's policies. He oversaw the expansion of the German colonial empire, acquiring new territories in China and the Pacific. He also strengthened Germany's military power by building a powerful navy to rival that of Britain.

However, Wilhelm II's erratic foreign policy and public statements antagonised the international community. He alienated other great powers by initiating a massive naval build-up, contesting French control of Morocco, and challenging British dominion in the Persian Gulf. His diplomatic brinkmanship ultimately contributed to the outbreak of World War I in 1914, as he guaranteed military support to Austria-Hungary during the July Crisis.

During World War I, Wilhelm II retained the title of Supreme War Lord but left the decision-making to the German Supreme Army Command. He was largely a figurehead, touring the front lines and handing out medals, while the country was effectively under a military dictatorship led by generals Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff.

In late 1918, facing popular unrest and a naval mutiny, Wilhelm II was forced to abdicate during the German Revolution. He fled to exile in the Netherlands, where he remained until his death in 1941.

He was the first grandchild of Queen Victoria

Kaiser Wilhelm II was the first grandchild of Queen Victoria. He was born in Berlin, Germany, on 27 January 1859. His mother, Victoria, Princess Royal ("Vicky"), was the oldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. At the time of Wilhelm's birth, his granduncle Frederick William IV was king of Prussia. Upon the death of Frederick William IV in January 1861, Wilhelm's namesake grandfather became king, and the two-year-old Wilhelm became second in the line of succession to the Prussian throne.

Wilhelm was genuinely fond of his grandmother, Queen Victoria, and was holding her in his arms when she died in 1901. His ties to Britain through its royal family played an important part in his later political manoeuvring. However, his relationship with his mother was strained. Wilhelm's birth was traumatic, and he was left with a paralysed left arm. Vicky was obsessed with her son's damaged arm, blaming herself for the child's handicap, and insisted that he become a good rider. Riding lessons began when Wilhelm was eight and were a matter of endurance for him. Over and over, the weeping prince was set on his horse and compelled to go through the paces. He fell off time after time but, despite his tears, was set on its back again. After weeks of this, he was finally able to maintain his balance.

Wilhelm's mother, Vicky, was a daughter of Queen Victoria and thus, a sister of King Edward VII. This made Wilhelm a first cousin of King George V of the United Kingdom, as well as of queens Marie of Romania, Maud of Norway, Victoria Eugenie of Spain, and Empress Alexandra of Russia.

Wilhelm's relationship with his British relations was poor. He craved the acceptance of his grandmother, Queen Victoria, and of the rest of her family. Despite the fact that his grandmother treated him with courtesy and tact, his other relatives largely denied him acceptance. He had an especially bad relationship with his uncle Bertie (later Edward VII). Between 1888 and 1901, Wilhelm resented Bertie, who despite being the heir apparent to the British throne, treated Wilhelm not as a reigning monarch, but merely as another nephew. In turn, Wilhelm often snubbed his uncle, whom he referred to as "the old peacock" and lorded his position as emperor over him.

Wilhelm's complex relationship with his mother and other British relatives, as well as his traumatic birth, are thought to have had a significant impact on his personality and, consequently, his political decisions.

He was forced to abdicate in 1918 and went into exile in the Netherlands

Kaiser Wilhelm II was forced to abdicate in 1918 after losing the support of his country's military and many of his subjects. He then fled to the Netherlands, where he remained for the rest of his life.

Wilhelm's abdication was announced on November 9, 1918, before he had actually consented to it. He agreed to leave when the leaders of the army told him he had lost their support. On November 10, the former emperor took a train across the border into the Netherlands, which had remained neutral throughout the war.

There were several reasons why the Netherlands was chosen for Wilhelm's exile. Firstly, Switzerland was deemed too international and too diplomatic in its political atmosphere. Belgium was out of the question as it was still possible that Allied troops would push further and threaten the Kaiser with capture. Denmark and the Scandinavian countries would necessitate long voyages and, in the case of Norway, a dangerous naval trip through the British blockade. Holland, on the other hand, was ruled by Queen Wilhelmina, who was a distant relation of Wilhelm's through the House of Orange. From the German army headquarters in Spa, Belgium, to the Dutch border was a distance of about thirty to forty miles, most of which was controlled by disciplined German troops.

Wilhelm eventually bought a manor house in the town of Doorn, where he remained until his death in 1941. Although the Allies wanted to punish him as a war criminal, Queen Wilhelmina refused to extradite him.

He died in 1941

Kaiser Wilhelm II, the German Emperor and King of Prussia, died in 1941 at the age of 82. He passed away in Doorn, in the Netherlands, where he had lived in exile since 1918.

Kaiser Wilhelm's exile began when he was forced to abdicate the throne in November 1918, following Germany's defeat in World War I. The abdication marked the end of the German Empire and the 300-year rule of Prussia by the Hohenzollern dynasty.

Kaiser Wilhelm's life in exile was marked by personal losses and political endeavours. His first wife, Augusta Victoria, passed away in 1921, and he later married Hermine Reuss in 1922. Despite his exile, he remained interested in political developments in Germany. In the early 1930s, he hoped for a restoration of the monarchy and petitioned the Nazi government through his wife. However, Adolf Hitler, whom Kaiser Wilhelm blamed for Germany's defeat in World War I, despised the former Kaiser.

Kaiser Wilhelm's final years were spent in relative seclusion at Huis Doorn. He died on June 4, 1941, just weeks before the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II. Despite his wishes, his funeral was attended by a few hundred people, including military officials and a small number of mourners.

Frequently asked questions