Figure 1.--.

There were only three German emprerors ot kaisers. Wilhelm I brilliantly guided by Bismarck unified the German nation, an achievement of monumental proportions. It was the disunity of the Holy Roman Empire that prevented Germany from dominating Europein the medieval era. And the Reformation further divided the Germans. This achieevement, however, was achieved by the aggrssively masuline amd marshall leadership of conservative Prussia which would place its stamp on the German nation. No all Germany was like Prussia. There were strong liberal and reformist sentiments in many of the other German states. But it would be Prussia that would mold the united German Empire. This militarist, conervative stamp almost did not continue. Laiser Wilhelm I's son was Crown Prince Frederich. He had liberal, reformist views. And he had married the British Princess Royal, Victoria, who shared his views and desore to transform. Germany. This had been Pribce albert's and Queen Victori's hope. Tragucally for Europe. Frederich was not in good health when his father died and he beca,e Kaiser Frederich III (1888). He died only a few months later and his son beca,e Kaider Wilhelm II. The year 1888 went down in German history as the Year of the Three Emperors. Chancellor Bismarck and Wilhem I weewell awar of the liberal bent of Frederich and their inavility to change those views. While Frderich and Victoria criticised Crown Prince Wilhelm and pointed out his limitations, his grandfather amd Bismarcked essentially wooded him telling how brilliant and capable he was. Wilhelm II, convinced og his supreme competence and entralled with the idea;s of German nationalism and milyary power proved to be e most disatrous leader in German history -- at least until Hitler. Two early steps taken by the new Kaisser was to ease out his old mentor--Chancellor Bismarck. And shortly after allow the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia to lapse. Bis marck correctly calculted that as long as the three empires (Austria-Hungarry, Germany, and Russia) were bound together by treaty, a general European war was impossible. Kaiser Wilhelm II with Bismarck gone saw little value in a treary with Russia and that Germany could be amply protected by the Empire;s poweful army. It was a decesion that would ultimately cost Wilhelm and his son the throne and destroy their Empire.

Wilhelm I (1871-88)

Many Germans had long aspired for a united nation state. This feeling became increasingly strong after the Napoleonic Wars of the late 18th and early 19th Centuries. Ironically, it was this defeat and occupation by the French that stired a feeling of German national identity. The Prussian-led victory over the French in 1870-71 caused a groundswell of popular support for the Hohenzollerns and the proclamation of William I (Wilhelm) as Emperor (Kaiser) of Germany in 1871. Kaiser Wilhelm I and Chancellor Bismarck learned on May 6, 1882, that the 23-year old Prince Wilhelm (later Kaiser Wilhelm II) was a father. Prince Wilhelm reportedly called through the window at the Marmorpalais in Potsdam when he saw his father "He is here, Papa, he is here, a son." Three living generations of the German royal family, the Hohenzollerns, seemed to have secured a happy future.

Friedrich III (1888)

Frederick was born in 1831, the son of King Wilhelm I of Prussia at Potsdam. When his father succeeded to the throne of Prussia in 1861, Frederick became Crown Prince Frederick William. Frederick was liberal in his political views, uncharacteristic for the Hohenzollerens. He opposed Count von Bismark throught his long term as Chancellor. Although opposed to the war with Austria in 1866, Frederick assumed command of the Army and led the Prussian forces to victory at the battle of Sadowa, which terminated the war which only lasted 7 weeks. During the Franco Prissian War he commanded the forces of the sothern German states. He participated in the Battle of Sedan and the seige of Paris. A man of learing and culture, Frederick and his wife, the English Princess Royal Victoria (Queen Victoria's eldest daughter), patronized art and literature and encouraged the work of the royal museums. Friederich and Victoria shared the liberal principles represented by the constitutional English monarchy. The principles had not been shared by his father or Bismark who made sure the parents did not control the upbrining of the Crown Prince. His accession to the throne was anticipated with pleasure by most Germans, who genially referred to him as "Our Fritz. For the Hohenzollern family and the politics of the First Reich, the year 1888 was the year of the three Emperors. Kaiser Wilhelm I died on March 9. Frederich suffered from cancer of the larynx. His poor health and untimely death were to have a profound impact on the future of Germany and Europe at large. His reign lasted only 99 days. Friedrich III died on June 15, 1888. His oldest son, the 29-yr. old Crown Prince became Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Figure 2.--Queen Victoria's first child Vicky mairred German Crown Prince Frederick. Their first son was William who is pictured here with his Aunt Beatrice. This is the same Kaiser Wilhelm II who led Germany to war in 1914. I think the drawing is by Victoria about 1883. Wilhelm and Beatrice quarled a children.

Wilhelm II (1888-1918)

Wilhelm II is perhaps the best known of the German Kaisers and Kings of Prussia--and the greatest failure. This was not preordained. Kaiser Wilhelm's upbrining and family background equiped him ideally to play the kind of peace keeping role played by his cousin Edward VII. However this role was not to his liking. He rejected the liberal leanings of his parents and instead the beicose leanings of the Prussian Junkers appealed to him. The result was to be disastorous for Germany, Europe and the Hohenzollern dynasty. While not the monster portrayed in British war-time propaganda, the bombastic Kaisser proved until Hitler to be one of the worst rulers in German history. It was said of Wilhelm that he was a man who wanted to be the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral. Many historians trace his narcisistic personality to his handicap and childhood. It is not because of his parents, more than his predecessors, Wilhelm grew up in a loving family. His Uncle Edward VII, a perceptive judge of character, said of his nephew, "the most brilliant failure in Europe". Although Wilhelm can not be blamed solely for World War I, his personal instability and grandiouse image of himself and Germany certainly played a major role in bringing about the War. Certainly he became the most hated man in Europe, although today's historical judgement after Hitler and the Holacaust now sees Wilhelm as less sinister than he was viewed after World War I. In many ways, however, it was Wilhelm who made Hitler possible. Kaiser Wilheml II was a dutiful husband and father. He had had seven children, including six sons (Fredrich-Wilhelm, Eitel Friedrich, Adalbert, August-Wilhelm, Oscar Charles, Joachim Francis.

Figure 3.--Only a year after this photograph was taken in 1887, Wilhelm became Kaiser Wilhelm II. He is shown here with the future Crown Prince whom would never be Kaiser.

Prince Frederich-Wilhelm

Wilhelm's oldest son, 6 year old Prince Frederich-Wilhelm officially became the Crown Prince when his father assumed the throne. His relationship with his father became more formal after he became Kaiser. At age 10, Prince Wilhelm received the rank of Lieutenant of the First Infantry Regiment, in accordance with tradition. When Prince Frederich-Wilhelm was 14 years old, another important stage of his life began. Together with his younger brother Eitel Friedrich he was sent to the military Academy at Ploen in Schleswig-Holstein, where he became a cadet. After 4 years at Ploen he graduated on February 22, 1900. Three days later he began his officer training in Potsdam, which had been shortened from 9 months to 9 weeks. As he was 18 years old and had become of age, according to the Hohenzollern House law, he began active service with his regiment on May 6, 1900. For the occasion of the Crown Prince's coming of age, many guests attended the celebrations. He mairred Princess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Cecilie learned to speak French fluently, as well as German, English and Russian. The mairrage, however, was not a happy one. Crown Prince Friederich-Wilhelm had ? children, including Prince Wilhelm and Prince Louis-Ferninand. Many photographs show the Kaiser with his grand children suggesting a loving relationship. We know less about the relatiionship betwwn the children and their parents or relatiins among the children. After World War I and the addicatication of the Kaiser he followed his father into exhile. He joined the NAZI Party, mistakingly believing that the NAZIs would reinstante the Hohenzollerens. He renounced his rights to the throne in 1933 to marry a commoner. He died in battle during 1940.

Figure 4.--This 1912 photograph is of the three sons of the German Crown Prince Frederich-Wilhelm. They are wearing Satin outfits with white socks and white patent leather shoes with bows. The boy on the far right has a very strange hair cut. Note that the younger boy wears a necklace.

Louis-Ferdinand (1907-94)

Born on November 9, 1907, at the Marmor Palais in Potsdam, Prince Louis-Ferdinand of Prussia served as the head of his family for more than four decades. At his birth, very few would have thought that one day Louis-Ferdinand would become the head of the German imperial family. As a grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Louis-Ferdinand was placed third in the line of succession behind his father, Crown Prince Friedrich-Wilhelm, and his elder brother Prince Wilhelm, born in 1906. By the time his father died in 1951, Louis-Ferdinand's eldest brother had renounced his rights to the throne in 1933 to marry a commoner. Prince Wilhelm of Prussia died in battle in 1940. Louis-Ferdinand was an artistically minded prince. He attended Berlin University in the 1920's, traveled widely, was a patron of songwriters and did some composing himself. As a young prince, Louis-Ferdinand took full advantage of his position and heritage. The 1920's saw him traveling extensively around the world, particularly to the United States. His brother's renunciation in 1933, forced Louis-Ferdinand to give up his bachelor's existence in the United States. He was asked by his grandfather, Kaiser Wilhelm II, to return to Germany and begin preparation for his future task as head of the Hohenzollern dynasty. During the early 1930's two of Kaiser Wilhelm II's sons joined the Nazi Party, Oscar and August-Wilhelm. Crown Prince Friedrich-Wilhelm, and two of his other sons, also joined the Nazi Party. The Hohenzollerns mistakenly hoped that Hitler would eventually restore the German empire. Many flocked to him in the hope of having their thrones reinstated. The Nazis sought to attract as many royals as possible to their movement to gain respectability among the German people. In fact, Prince August-Wilhelm was unwise enough to proclaim that, "where a Hitler leads, a Hohenzollern can follow." Unlike many of his royal cousins, Louis-Ferdinand was deeply opposed to the Nazi regime. The Gestapo followed him constantly because he was under suspicion of plotting against Hitler.

Created: 11:39 PM 11/26/2015
Last updated: 11:39 PM 11/26/2015