The Children of Adam and Eve

He was also King of Prussia (1888-1918), whose policies helped bring about
World War I.

William, also known as Kaiser Wilhelm, was educated at the University of
Bonn. In 1881, after a period of military service, he was married. He
became emperor in 1888 upon the Death of his father, who had reigned for
only three months.

William II's first major action as emperor was his dismissal in 1890 of
the aged chancellor Prince Otto von Bismarck, who had been largely
responsible for the growth of the German Empire under the emperor's
grandfather, William I. Thereafter he participated significantly, often
decisively, in the formulation of foreign and domestic policies. His
administration of internal affairs was Marked by the rapid transformation
of Germany from an agricultural to a major industrial state and by the
accompanying development of serious problems in capital-labor relations.
William was only partially successful in his attempts to curb the growth
of Germany's Social Democratic party, which ultimately became the largest
political group in the empire.

The emperor believed that he ruled by divine right; foreign affairs
interested him, but his policies were contradictory and confused. He
professed deep friendship for Great Britain but drove that country into an
alliance with France and Russia by his aggressive program of colonial,
commercial, and naval expansion. Similarly, his policy of friendship with
Russia and support of Russian ambitions in the Far East was negated by his
encouragement of Austro-Hungarian actions in the Balkans. He believed
firmly in the efficacy of the Triple Alliance as a deterrent to war, and
he probably was devoid of militaristic ambitions. Imperial policy under
his impulsive guidance severely aggravated the international frictions
that culminated in World War I.

During the war William's position became increasingly that of a
figurehead. Realizing his own incapacity as a military leader, he left the
responsibility for military decisions increasingly to the German generals
Paul von Hindenburg and ERich Ludendorff. He ignored the 1917 peace
resolutions submitted by the Reichstag and urged continuation of the war.
Failure of the German offensive of 1918 Brought mounting unrest to the
German armies and people, and on November 10, a day before the armistice
was signed, William left his country and went to Holland. During the peace
negotiations at Versailles, various representatives of the victorious
Allies urged vainly that William be extradited and tried as a war
criminal. He spent his remaining years in complete seclusion at Doorn
Castle in the Netherlands. He lived to see the resurgence of German armed
power and after his Death was buried with military honors by order of
Hitler.