Born in 1859, grew up during the conflicts which led to Germany's triumphant unification & helped shape his own strong nationalist beliefs & confidence in the power of the Germanmilitary
Wilhelm
Complications during his birth led to a disabled arm & caused significant insecurities
Embraced traditional masculine pursuits & his role as Supreme Commander of the Military
Wilhelm's insecurities
Exacerbated by his Britishmother, Vicky, who was obsessed with curing his disability
Wilhelm's relationship with his mother Vicky
Complex, fractious & fluctuating, influenced the Kaiser's wider love-hate attitude to Britain
Wilhelm as an adult
Brash, indiscreet in conversation (as seen during the Daily Telegraph Affair)
Over-confident in his own abilities (he believed in the divine right of kings)
Susceptible to flattery which allowed him to be easily influenced by others
Wilhelm spent vast amounts of time attending social events & military ceremonies (he only spent 100 days a year on average in Berlin) which meant he often had little grasp of the detail of government policies
Wilhelm wanted to be loved by the people of Germany
Suffered a nervous breakdown after the criticism he suffered during the Daily Telegraph Affair (1908)
Wilhelm's authoritarian tendencies meant he dreamed of using the army to sweep aside the Reichstag, & SPD, but he never dared & the Reichstag blocked his Chancellors' attempts to pass Anti-Socialist laws
