Kaiser William II - The Last Emperor of the German Empire

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Kaiser William (or Wilhelm) II was the third and last emperor of the German Empire and the last king of the Kingdom of Prussia. He remained the emperor for 30 years (1888-1918). The German defeat in World War I (1914-18) ended his reign and abolished the monarchy.

Early Life

Kaiser William II

William was born on 27th January 1859 in Berlin to the 2nd German Emperor Frederick III. Her mother, Victoria, was the eldest child of Queen Victoria of the U.K. Wilhelm finished high school in 1877 while he studied law and politics at the University of Bonn. Under the influence of his German tutors, William became an extreme antagonist of the British form of democracy while he was much interested in autocratic rule according to Prussian thought. 

William II as Emperor

On 9th March 1888, Emperor Wilhelm I died and was replaced by Wilhelm II’s father, Frederick III. He also passed away in June 1888 due to throat cancer, and Wilhelm II became the German emperor on 15th June 1888.

Chancellor Otto von Bismarck was a German statesman who played the most significant role in the unification of Germany and paved the way for the formation of the German Empire during the second half of the 19th Century. However, his relations with Wilhelm II were not courteous due to the latter aggressive foreign policy, as opposed to Bismarck’s relatively peaceful and wise policy. Tensions between the two rose with time, and Bismarck resigned as chancellor in 1890 after being insisted by Wilhelm II.

In 1888-89, Wilhelm II suppressed the Abushiri Revolt in German East Africa (now Kenya, Tanzania, etc.).

In 1904, the Herero and Namaqua Genocide occurred in German South-West Africa (now Namibia) when the tribes of Herero and Namaqua rebelled against the Germans. After the failed revolt, German forces drove away these tribes into the Namib Desert, where thousands died due to thirst and starvation.

In March 1905, Kaiser William II visited Morocco, met with representatives of the Sultan of Morocco, and assured his support for the sovereignty of his country, which was under the influence of France. This visit started the First Moroccan Crisis, which lasted till April 1906. This crisis worsened the relations between the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austro-Hungary, and Italy) and the Triple Entente (Britain, France, and Russia) and is known as one of the causes of World War I. 

Kaiser William II wanted to become the ruler of a country with a powerful navy comparable to the Royal Navy of the U.K. For this purpose, he passed five German Naval laws in 1890, 1900, 1906, 1908, and 1912 to strengthen its naval force. The purpose was to prepare Germany to compete with the marine superpower Britain during any conflict.

Kaiser During World War I

On 28th June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated in Sarajevo by a Serbian nationalist organization, Black Hand. Within two days of this event, the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war against Serbia, and Russia mobilized its forces to defend Serbia. Later, Germany also entered the war in favor of Austro-Hungary.

After initial hostilities, trench warfare started on the Western Front without noticeable success for any opposing side. During the last stages of the war, the German political government was nowhere, and the military generals were controlling the whole situation. Various factors deteriorated the situation for Germany and its allies in 1918, and the war ended in favor of the Allied Powers in November 1918. 

German Revolution

During the last months of 1918, the German Revolution started when both the nationalists and socialists united against the monarchy. Apart from that, a mutiny was also evident among the military ranks, especially naval forces. These circumstances left no option for Kaiser, and he resigned. After the exile, William entered the Netherlands on 10th November 1918 and remained there for the remainder of his life. William II died at 82 during World War II on 3rd June 1941.

Place in History

Kaiser William II wanted to become a great ruler of the German Empire and intended to take the Empire to the height of glory. However, he lacked the qualities required for this purpose. He took the resignation of Otto van Bismarck, the mind behind establishing the German Empire, to become an autocratic monarch.

His aggressive policies paved the way for World War I. These include the Moroccan Crisis, building a powerful navy parallel to the English Royal Navy, and his controversial interview with the Daily Telegraph. His strategy during World War I also proved damaging as he let his military commanders control the situation while the political government remained ineffective. His rule was a failed one, which caused damage to Germany and also resulted in the dismantling of the German Empire.

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