HIM German Emperor Wilhelm II: Part 3

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Crown Prince Wilhelm, Field Marshall, Friedrich Ebert, General Erich Ludendorff, German Empire, Grand Duchy of Baden, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, King Edward VII of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Kingdom of Prussia, Morocco, Otto von Bismark, Paul von Hindenburg, Philipp Scheidemann, Prince Maximilian of Baden, Princess Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein, Social Democrats, Sultan Abdelaziz of Morocco, Tangier, The First Moroccan Crisis, Triple Alliance, Triple Entente, Wilhelm Groener, Woodrow Wilson, World War I

This is the final part of my feature on Germany’s Kaiser. Today I will look at his abdication and then look more on the personal side of the Kaiser along with his life in exile and his legacy.

As World War I raged on the Kaiser lost most of his political power and influence. By 1916 Field Marshall Paul von Hindenburg and General Erich Ludendorff were the virtual military dictators of the German Empire. Toward the end of the war it was evident how much power the Kaiser had lost and how much power Hindenburg and Ludendorff wielded. Throughout the spring and summer of 1918 the German staff could no longer deny that the war was lost and that peace should be sought after.

Georg von Hertling was the Chancellor of the German Empire and seen as a puppet of Hindenburg and Ludendorff and when it was realized he could no longer control the splintering empire on the verge of collapse he was forced to resign. The Kaiser, whose responsibility it was to appoint the Chancellor had no say in selecting von Hertling’s replacement. Prince Maximilian of Baden, heir to the Grand Duchy of Baden. Prince Max was seen as a liberal and by amending the constitution to where it would favor a Parliamentary system instead of the authoritarian system constructed by Bismark. Prince Max also included the Social Democrats, Friedrich Ebert and Philipp Scheidemann in the formation of the government. These were steps that were thought would make it easier for the allies to sue for peace. It was well known that US President Wilson would not deal with a Germany with the Kaiser at its head.

By November the German Empire was on the verge of collapse. There were socialist uprisings as well as rumblings in the military of mutiny. There were calls for the Kaiser to abdicate but that he refused to do so. In 1918 the German Staff had moved its headquarters to Spa, Belgium and it was there that Wilhelm spent his last days as emperor. All attempts to save the monarchy were lost but Wilhelm was not convinced. On November 9, 1918 Prince Max was in Berlin and the only thing he could do to stave off complete collapse and revolution was to announce the abdication of the Kaiser himself. When word reached Wilhelm that his abdication had been announced in Berlin he was outraged and never forgave Prince Max. Prince Max knew that he himself also had to go as it was seen that only Friedrich Ebert could restore order so the very same day the Kaiser’s abdication was announced Prince Max turned over the Chancellorship to Ebert.

Wilhelm was still not convinced all was lost. Ever the Prussian militarist Wilhelm had a delusional idea that he would lead the German Army, who was ever loyal to him, back into Berlin to crush any rebellion and restore his power. It took General Wilhelm Groener, Ludendorff’s replacement, to convince the emperor that the Army would not support him. It was only then that he agreed to seek exile and leave. The night of July 10th the Kaiser left Spa by train to seek asylum in the Netherlands. He was granted asylum by Queen Wilhelmina () and eventually settled in Doorn where he stayed for the rest of his life. His cousin, George V of the United Kingdom, called him the worst criminal in history. Many nations called for his extradition and wanted the Kaiser hung for war crimes. Eventually even president Wilson agreed that to extradite the Kaiser would destabilize the tentative peace.

Bismark mention in how he saw the Kaiser: he wanted every day to be his birthday—romantic, sentimental and theatrical, unsure and arrogant, with an immeasurably exaggerated self-confidence and desire to show off, a juvenile cadet, who never took the tone of the officers’ mess out of his voice, and brashly wanted to play the part of the supreme warlord, full of panicky fear of a monotonous life without any diversions, and yet aimless, pathological in his hatred against his English mother.

Reading one of the leading biographers of the Kaiser, John C. G. Röhl, found he blamed many others for his downfall and he had a streak of antisemitism in him as well.

Kaiserin August Victoria of Germany

He had married for the first time in 1881, HSH Princess Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (1858-1921). There have not been many kind words written about her. She was devoted to her husband in an almost hero-worshiping fashion and was seen as rather plain and unintelligent. Her devout Christian conservative views also created more negative images of her. She bore the Kaiser 6 sons and one daughter to whom he was devoted to. His eldest son, Crown Prince Wilhelm, was a womanizing playboy and this did not sit well with the emperor. The two strong willed men had many conflicts. One son, Prince Joachim, who was divorced shortly after the war never recovered from his loss of position and life as a royal and committed suicide in 1920. A year later his wife, Empress Augusta Victoria, died at the age of 62.

The Kaiser remarried in 1922. On his birthday in January of that same year Wilhelm received a birthday card from a son of the late Prince Johann George of Schönaich-Carolath. Wilhelm invited the boy and his mother, born Princess Hermine Reuss of Greiz, to Doorn. While meeting the former kaiser Wilhelm found Hermine very attractive and the two got on well. They were wed November 9, 1922 in spite of very vocal objections his children, who were about the same age as their new stepmother, and also from Wilhelm’s monarchist supporters who were eager for the restoration of the monarchy. Hermine, who was called the empress within the corridors of Huis Doorn was similarly devoted to her husband as was his first wife.

The Kaiser passed away on June 4, 1941. He saw the first few years of World War II. He eventually distance himself from Hitler and would not allow himself to be used for Nazi Propaganda and would not allow himself to be buried in Germany unless the monarchy was restored. To this day his remains lie in a mausoleum on the grounds of Huis Doorn.

Although I didn’t have a lot of positive things to say about the last Kaiser yet I do find him fascinating. He was a complex character that was steering the ship when the German Empire ran aground. Historians say that World War I changed a way of life for the aristocracy that had existed in Europe for centuries. There are also some historians who say that the 20th century didn’t actually begin until the end of the First World War. As a monarchist it presents an opportunity to understand why the monarchy ended. I am of the belief that if the kaiser had been more open to change and willing to go the way of constitutionalism that the other monarchies had gone, there is a strong chance that Germany would still be a monarchy today.

HIM German Emperor Wilhelm II: Part 2

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Entente Cordiale, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, King Edward VII of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Kingdom of Prussia, Morocco, Otto von Bismark, Sultan Abdelaziz of Morocco, Tangier, The First Moroccan Crisis, Triple Alliance, Triple Entente, World War I

As I mentioned in last week’s feature on Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, he is a bit of an enigma for me. I find him fascinating to study, as is the time period in which he lived, but I am not sure what to make of him at times.

One of the issues I want to touch on today is his role in World War I. After the war there were many cries to “Hang the Kaiser” as he was seen as responsible for the war. I always wondered how a war that was triggered by the assassination of an Austrian Archduke got blamed on the German Emperor? In viewing his reign one can see how ill equipped for parts of his role he really was. Unlike his grandfather, who let Bismark pretty much run the country, Wilhelm wanted the reigns of power in his own hands, or at least in the hands of ministers he felt he could control. Within 2 years of his accession Bismark, the man who almost single handily forged the empire, was summarily dismissed. Wilhelm took an active role in politics, most notable in foreign policy. As noted last week his impulsive nature and ability to stick his foot in his mouth cost him dearly during the Daily Telegraph affair. His other blunder was the 1905 Moroccan Crisis.

In 1904 the Entente Cordiale between Britain and France, established with the helpful diplomacy of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom of Great Britain (the Kaiser’s Uncle, whom he disliked) left Germany feeling isolated. Morocco was a French protectorate seeking greater autonomy from France. On March 31, 1905, Kaiser Wilhelm II landed at Tangier, Morocco and held a conference with the representatives of Sultan Abdelaziz of Morocco. Wilhelm II declared he had come to support the sovereignty of the Sultan and this was perceived by France and its allies to be a direct challenge to France’s influence over Morocco. As tensions quickly mounted and with war between France and Germany almost a certainty, a conference was set up to avoid a war and to resolve the conflict. This lead to a 13 nation tribunal which heavily sided with France, including Germany’s sole ally, Austria-Hungary. Although a war was averted the whole crisis lead to the Kaiser feeling that both he and Germany were humiliated. Despite the war being averted this incident lead to tensions between the Triple Alliance and Triple Entente that lead to the start of World War I.

Did the Kaiser want the war? From all the sources I have read I have come to a definite maybe on that question. It seems he himself had mixed feeling about the war from the start. He certainly was a saber rattler during his reign and wanting to be seen as a Prussian Warlord was part of the image he liked to portray. He also seemed to feel that Germany was a late comer as a European power and he wanted Germany to be the dominant power in Europe. It was attitudes like that, and Germany was not alone in this instance, which lead to an atmosphere that was ripe for war in 1914. I also have read that the Kaiser wanted to avoid the war and it seems in the last moments before the start of the war that may have been true. What I think is closer to the truth is that both the Kaiser and his ministers were overconfident. Germany offered Austria-Hungary full and unconditional support, thinking that Austria would have a brief war with Serbia and that Germany’s presence would hold off Russia. I am sure they could not foresee a major European and World wide conflict over this issue.

The Kaiser was a symbol for the war. I think the evidence that he was a symbol for the war, and possibly even a scapegoat, was the fact that once the war started the Kaiser seems to fade into the woodwork of history. With both Hindenburg and Ludendorff taking over the day to day operations of the war the Kaiser was sent on his train to the troops to offer moral support. He did not have much decision making power or authority during this time.

I will conclude Part III nest week and I will look at his abdication, his life in exile and his relationships with his family and the vast array of royal relatives.