Wilhelm II: The Kaiser's Personal Monarchy, 1888-1900

Wilhelm II #2

by John C.G. Röhl, Sheila de Bellaigue (Translator)

Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859-1941) was a key figure in German history as it followed its fatal course from Bismarck to Hitler, and this book presents a detailed account of the first half of his reign. Concerned primarily with the question of who controlled Germany's powerful machinery of government, the text focuses on how the country's domestic and foreign policy was decided upon, and the issue of the continuity (or inevitability) of German history from the foundation of the Second Reich by Bismarck to Hitler's Third Reich.

Genres: Biography, History, Germany, 19th Century

1306 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

John Charles Gerald Röhl was a British historian notable for his work on Imperial Germany and European history.

Originally from London, England, Röhl taught in Germany at the University of Hamburg and at the University of Freiburg. In 1964 he became a professor of European history at the University of Sussex, where he was given emeritus status in 1999.

Reviews

[Rachel Boothe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. This book begins as Kaiser Frederich III is dying of throat cancer. There was so much hope for Germany in Frederich III's reign. He believed in a constitutional monarchy much like that of his mother-in-law, Queen Victoria. However, he only reigned 99 days and all of his and Kaiserin Victoria's dreams for Germany died with him. His death not only destroyed the possibility of Germany becoming a constitutional monarchy but, with the accession of his son, Kaiser Wilhelm II, set it on its destructive path that culminated in WWI. Kaiser Wilhelm II was frothing at the mouth to be Kaiser and could not seem to wait for his father to die. When he ascended the throne, he appeared to begin on good footing. His first speech hit almost all the right notes, but it soon became apparent to those who worked closely with him that something was not right. Wilhelm II believed in personal monarchy and his close friend and adviser, Phillip Eulenburg, did everything in his power to make that happen. From 1888 - 1900, the time period this book covers, Wilhelm slowly but surely gained control of almost every aspect of government. Nothing happened that he did not influence.
Wilhelm had many good qualities that, had he used them to benefit the German people, would have made Germany into a great empire. He was very smart, artistic, energetic, and a visionary. However, Wilhelm wanted to control everyone and everything. He had a godlike view of his ancestors and believed he was chosen to carry on their mission of making Germany great through a personal monarchy and autocratic methods.
One of the main things that stands out to me in this book is the ambivalent feeling of Wilhelm for England. At the time period of 1888 - 1900, England was a world power. Part of Wilhelm hated England because it was his mother's homeland and she wanted Germany to be like England, but at the same time Wilhelm desperately wanted England's, and particularly is grandmother's, approval. However, Lord Salisbury, the Prime Minister of The United Kingdom from 1895 - 1902, knew of Wilhelm's suspected mental health problems and did not trust him. One of the interesting theories presented in this book is that Wilhelm suffered from porphyria, the same illness that affected his mother and sister Charlotte. Unlike them, his symptoms manifested themselves in his personality. As Wilhelm's behavior became more erratic around the turn of the century, even his best friend Phillip Eulenburg finally realized the danger he posed, but by that time it was too late.

[Ariyasacca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite book of the year. British side of the story, a little biased。320