History- Germany Kaiser Wilhelm

• Kaiser Wilhelm II came into power in 1888 and introduced policies that led to an increase in nationalism and militarism.
• Germany became the most powerful country in Europe by 1900 due to its economic growth and military strength.
• William II believed in the idea of Weltpolitik (world politics) which meant expanding Germany's influence overseas through colonies and trade links.
• Wilhelm II took over from his grandfather Wilhelm I in 1888 and continued many of his predecessor's policies.
• Wilhelm II was the eldest child of Frederick.
• Historians view Wilhelm as arrogant and overly theatrical (a neurotic braggart, a romantic dreamer, a man who frequently changed his mind)
• The German army grew rapidly under William II
• His personality made him unpopular with other European leaders
• He had little respect for parliamentary democracy or constitutional government
• An Austrian wit remarked that Wilhelm wanted to be the bride at every wedding, stag at every hunt, and the corpse at every funeral (always wanted to be fawned upon/have the attention)
• John Rohl historian calls him a 'boastful autocrat, militarist, and racist'
• Wilhelm's birth resulted in the partial paralysis of his left arm and damage to the balance mechanism in his ear. His physical problems and dreadful way he was treated may be a psychological consequence for his strained relationship with his parents, opposing their liberal sympathies and preferring the company of his grandfather.
• William was described as insane, meglomaniac and a sadist, the reasons for his self-assertiveness.
• He is depicted as a repressed homosexual or suffering from ADD
• The Reichstag could discuss, amend, pass or reject government legislation, its power to initiate new laws was negligible. No party or coalition of parties ever formed the government of the day. Even a vote of no confidence in the chancellor had minimal effect.
• Wilhelm and the government could rely on backing of right-wing parties. After 1890, strength in decline. 1887- 50% popular vote, 1912 - 26% popular vote.
• In 1890, Bismarck resigned due to disagreement over social reforms and anti-socialist measures. He was replaced by Leo von Caprivi who introduced policies that were more favourable towards the SPD. This led to an increase in support for the SPD which won 40 seats in the election of 1898.
• Bethmann Hollweg became Chancellor in 1909. He tried to win back the support of the liberals and centre parties. However, this meant that he lost the support of the Conservative Party. Bethmann Hollweg also faced opposition from the army and navy ministers who wanted to continue building up the armed forces.
• After 1898, the Chancellors became increasingly dependent upon the conservative parties. The conservatives demanded that they would only serve under a monarch who supported them. In 1900, Bulow became Chancellor but he was forced to resign in 1909 because of opposition from the Conservatives.
• The centre party consistently won between 90-110 seats, largest party in the Reichstag until 1912. Represented Catholics, 1900 pivotal party
• The rise of SPD, lapse of anti-socialist law in 1890, SPD appealed to Germany's working class. 1893- won 11% of popular vote, 1912 - 34.8%
• Although Wilhelm had a quick mind, an excellent memory, and a charming manner, his understanding of issues was often superficial and distorted by his own prejudices. He lacked powers of steady application and his moods and behaviour were liable to wild fluctuations.
• He was absent from Berlin for long periods and so didn't have command of the detail of the government's work. It is possible to claim that he did not determine the course of German policy.
• Wilhelm II was very much influenced by his mother, Victoria, Princess Royal (daughter of Queen Victoria). She was a strong personality with a deep sense of duty towards her country. Her influence on her son can be seen in his early years as Emperor when he showed great enthusiasm for reforming Prussia and modernising Germany. This period has been called 'the golden age'.
• In 1890, Wilhelm dismissed Bismarck. His dismissal came at a time when there was growing tension between Britain and Germany over colonial expansion. Wilhelm believed that it was necessary to assert Germany's position overseas and saw himself as the champion of the new imperialism. He felt that Bismarck was too cautious and needed to be replaced by someone more dynamic.
• Bulow was appointed as chancellor in 1900. He was a member of the National Liberal Party which was committed to maintaining good relations with Britain. He realised that if Germany continued to build up its naval strength then war with Britain was inevitable. Therefore, he persuaded Wilhelm to accept the compromise solution of the Naval Law of 1900. Under this agreement, the size of the fleet was limited to two thirds of the British Navy.
• William II was known for his love of military uniforms and parades. He enjoyed being surrounded by soldiers and sailors and took part in many military exercises himself. His interest in the army led him to increase its size and improve its equipment.
• In 1897, Wilhelm married Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg. They had six children together. However, their marriage was unhappy due to Augusta's poor health and Wilhelm's infidelity. Their relationship deteriorated over time and she died in 1921.
• He had the right to appoint and dismiss the Chancellor and his State Secretaries- completely independent of the Reichstag's wishes. He regarded the Reichstag as the 'imperial monkey house'
• Wilhelm I usually deferred to Bismarck, but Wilhelm II was determined to participate in the affairs of state. Political survival was dependent on showing loyalty to Wilhelm II and doing his will.
• The eldest child of Crown Prince Frederick and Victoria (eldest daughter of British Queen Victoria)
• During his adolescent years, he grew apart from his parents, opposing their liberal sympathies and preferring the company of his grandfather. He particularly enjoyed the regimental life of the military garrison at Potsdam.
• Wilhelm proved to be a disaster not only for Germany but also for the rest of Europe. Given his indecision and limited ability, it's not surprising that he surrounded himself with 'a deplorable bunch of advisers', the results being a lack of progress in domestic affairs, combined with an ill-considered and aggressive foreign policy, culminating in the tragedy of the first world war.
• Jews came to be seen by nationalists as symbolic of all they opposed: socialism, pacifism, liberalism. Anti-Semitism was promoted by influential writers, composers, newspapers and Wilhelm II himself.
• Social trends under Wilhelm: socialism, forces government to introduce social welfare (urbanisation), hatred of national minorities, anti-Catholicism, increased standard of living, increasing politicisation (trade unions), strong class divisions, some opportunities for women, religious tension (Kulturkampf).
• In 1908, Wilhelm had an interview with the Telgraph, in it his uncensored remarks on British foreign policy angered the British public, calling them "mad" and was printed as Bulow did not check the interview
• The Eulenberg affair (1905) is called the 'biggest homosexual scandal ever' was a public controversy surrounding a series of courts-martial and five civil trials regarding accusations of homosexual conduct, and accompanying libel trials, among prominent members of Kaiser Wilhelm's advisers and close colleagues.
• A German political crisis sparked by unrest in the Alsatian garrison town of Saverne (Zabern). It was caused when, more than four decades after Alsace's occupation by the Germans, a German army officer openly insulted the local population. This led to popular unrest, which was quelled with brutal means as the army was ordered to fire on the crowd. When told to do something about the issue, Wilhelm II did not punish the army which led to many people getting angry
• Wilhelm wanted to be liked, often seen as a pushover at times. this can be seen when he first tried to appeal to socialists: ended up making Bismarck resign due to their disagreement and Caprivi's 'New Course' allowing more social measure (e.g. prohibited employment of under 13s)
• It can be said that the political state was unstable due to there being multiple chancellors who all pushed for different things.