The Kaisers

by Theo Aronson

The Kaisers were only in power for less than fifty years, but their reigns would shape the fate of Europe forever… There were only three Kaisers, and their reigns lasted for less than fifty years. Yet their time on the throne was marked by drama, turbulence, and a bloody impact upon the lives of millions. The short lived Second Reich born out of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and defeated on the Western Front in 1918 is without parallel. The Kaisers is the story of six people whose influence changed the world. Wilhelm I, Frederick II, Wilhelm II and their wives had huge control over the recently unified Germany. They were military minded, autocratic men who, caught in bitter, almost continual conflict, found themselves on an inevitable path to destruction. The Kaisers is a comprehensive study of the rise and fall of the House of Hohenzollern that shows the light and shade of the Kaisers as well as explaining why they are perhaps deserving of our understanding and compassion. Praise for Theo 'A lively and eminently readable book' - The Teacher 'An engrossing piece of almost contemporary history' - Homes & Gardens 'A vivid evocation of the lives and characters of the personalities involved' - The Observer Theo Aronson is the author of over twenty works of royal historical biography, published in eleven languages. Among the widely read are Grandmama of Europe, The King in Love, Napoleon and Josephine and a biography of Princess Margaret. In the course of researching and writing these books he has interviewed major and minor members of Britain’s royal family and members of the royal households, as well as various officials, servants, friends and others whose lives are in some way connected with the monarchy.

Genres: History, Biography, Germany, Nonfiction

282 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 18, 1971

About the author

Theo Aronson is an historical biographer specialising in the Royal Houses of Europe. Among his many widely read books are "The Golden Bees: The Story of the Bonapartes," "Grandmama of Europe" and "Royal Family: Years of Transition."

His books have been published in Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Holland and Belgium.

Theo Aronson lives in an eighteenth-century stone house in Frome, Somerset.

Reviews

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An overview of Germany's three kaisers. None of it is really new information if you've studied Queen Victoria and her children - no historian ever resists the urge to dwell of Fritz's fate. I did like that Aronson really examined Kaiser Wilhelm I and Empress Augusta - they're usually only mentioned in opposition to Vicky and Fritz, so it's nice to see them get put back properly in the story.

In reading more of Aronson, he does seem to do better with the royals contemporary to his writing. When he can actually speak to them or those that knew them, his writing is richer and more engaged. For those in the past, he falls into the same rhythms of other historians, though he is good at keeping the focus on his subjects and not wandering off on tangents. Which is to say, the Kaisers is good because it puts the whole family together and gives all equal weight, but it doesn't really add anything new to the conversation if this is not your introduction to the subject.

[Rachel Boothe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great summary of each of the three Kaisers of Germany and their reigns. Their similarities and differences are explored as well as their relationships with each other. I really didn't learn anything new that I had not read in previous books I have read on the Hohenzollerns. However, I did find this book helpful in that it summarized what I already read in more detail earlier and gave me a more cohesive understanding of the events. One of the most interesting parts of the books is the author's speculation of what may have happened if Kaiser Frederick III had reigned longer. It is interesting to think about the different direction Germany, and the world, may have taken.

[Jeffrey Thiessen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A broad stroke look look at the first three (and the only three!) Kaisers who ruled over a united German Empire (Second Reich) from 1871 to it's demise following the First World War in 1918: Wilhelm I, who had been King of Prussia since 1861; Frederick III, who was progressively minded and married to Victoria, Princess Royal of Great Britain; and Wilhelm II, a complex character who was widely blamed for steering Europe into WWI. This work is a good starter for anyone interested in players mentioned.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of the three Kaisers of the German Empire who ruled from 1871 to the demise of House of Hohenzollern the after WW1. The book starts with Emperor Wilhelm I of Germany, his wife Augusta, Chancellor Otto van Bismarck and the unification of Germany. Wilhelm I's son, Frederick III (who was married to Victoria, Queen Victoria's daughter) ascends to the throne in 1888, but dies shortly thereafter. Frederick III and Victoria's son, William II, then takes the throne, and is the last Kaiser of the empire.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Kaisers by Theo Aronson is a rather good summary of the three Kaisers--their lives, their challenges, and, to some degree, world events around them. It is not heavy on history, but focuses more on the men themselves and their families and personalities. This is a pretty easy read, but full of information presented in an easy-to-understand way.

[Marilyln Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovers of history from trusted author

Different prospective on three Kaiser s and their lives. Poor Frederick, poor Vicky and their tragic circumstances. Recommended to European history buffs

[Spencer Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book if you don't know much about the subject matter.

[dave semrud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wanted more.

Very good. Wish there was more about the last Kaiser. It's kinda like he ran out of wind. Really could use at least another 100 pages. Still worth a 5 star.

[Gordon Kwok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this is a great book and another highly entertaining one by one of the preeminent experts in 18-19th century European royalty. He does not write about the politics of royalty but rather the personalities. If you’re the kind of person who really enjoyed the Crown, this is the kind of book for you.

[Michael Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the not-quite-fifty years between the Franco-Prussian War and the end of the Great War, the German House of Hohenzollern resembled a soap opera in its familial intrigue. Emperor William I of Germany was a reactionary autocrat willing to place himself under the thumb of Otto von Bismarck, though his empress, Augusta, loathed the chancellor. Their son, Frederick III, comparatively liberal in his ideas and ignored for most of his life, ascended the throne in 1888 and died three months later — unfortunately for Germany. His wife, Victoria, the daughter of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, was shrewd and idealistic and Bismarck hounded her to her death. And their son, William II, was a flamboyant, power-mad megalomaniac who presided over the destruction of the dynasty. Aronson is less interested in the history of Germany, however, than in the interplay of personalities and hatreds within the family and between them and Bismarck, concentrating on such unofficial sources as court gossip of the era. If ever there was a ruling dynasty that deserved to fail, probably it was this one.