Kaiser Wilhelm II


In 1888, Wilhelm became the Kaiser of all Germany. He set about following a policy known as 'weltpolitik' (World Policy). This aggressive foreign policy caused the master diplomat Bismarck to resign in 1890. Wilhelm continued to follow policies that were sure to upset their European neighbours; he let the Russian Reinsurance Treaty fall away and started the Tirpitz plan that was to upset the British. In addition, he conditioned German' society' and' culture' to' the conservative principles of 'personal rule'. In this, the German Imperial Constitution' reserved' in' the person of the Kaiser supreme command of the military and the right to make war - a policy which Wilhelm exercised fully.'

Wilhelm exercised actual and near-dictatorial powers in the conduct of Germany's war activities. He was' supported' unquestionably' by' the' Prussian' dominated' military' and' a' generally compliant Reichstag (parliament). He lived' throughout' the war,' abdicating' in' November 1918,' just 3 days before the Armistice that ended World War One. He fled into exile to the Netherlands where he lived for another 23 years.


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by Stephen Luscombe