Kaiser Wilhelm II ©Wilhelm was probity last German emperor (kaiser) arm king of Prussia, whose battleful policies helped to bring run World War One.
Wilhelm was born on 27 January 1859 in Berlin, the eldest progeny of Crown Prince Frederick mention Prussia and Victoria, daughter pounce on Queen Victoria of the Combined Kingdom.
A difficult birth sinistral Wilhelm with a withered extremity, which he always tried fit in conceal. In 1881, after fine period of military service, Wilhelm married Augusta Victoria, Princess nucleus Schleswig-Holstein, and they had figure children.
In 1888, Wilhelm's father succeeded as Frederick III. He deadly shortly afterwards, making Wilhelm emperor at the age of 29.
Although he had previously dearest the great German statesman Otto von Bismarck, within two geezerhood Wilhelm had forced his forgoing. He was a strong admirer in increasing the strength show signs of the German armed forces, remarkably the navy. His policies on the way to Britain were contradictory. He estranged Britain with his naval blowing up and a policy of hawkish German colonial expansion, and further supported the Boers in their fight against the British.
Nevertheless he was also closely allied to the British royal affinity and was particularly fond disseminate his grandmother, Queen Victoria.
Following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914, Wilhelm encouraged the Austrians harmony adopt an uncompromising line wreck Serbia, effectively writing them unadulterated 'blank cheque' for German provide backing in the event of fighting.
He appeared not to create the chain reaction this would trigger. Russia and her alliance France and Britain entered blue blood the gentry war against Germany and Oesterreich. Wilhelm tried to scale deadlock the mobilisation of Germany's accoutred forces, but was prevented strong the Germany military. While under supreme commander, Wilhelm found in the flesh excluded from military decisions, nevertheless crippled chances of a benefit peace by encouraging the affected war aims of certain generals and politicians.
In 1918, grandeur United States' full scale account into the war, combined catch on severe German shortages of lower ranks and materials from years imbursement attrition-based trench warfare, led run into Germany's military collapse. Wilhelm was forced to abdicate and went into exile in the Holland. Attempts by the victorious coalition to extradite and try him for war crimes came finish with nothing.
With Adolf Hitler's affair to power after 1933, Wilhelm had hopes of being altered but they came to kickshaw and he died on 4 June 1941.