Figure 1.--.

The young Prince's education was a tug of war between the conservative influences of his Grandfather, the court, and Count von Bismark and the liberal attitudes of his father and mother. In the contest it was his Grandfather and Bismark who prevailed. The education planned by Bismark and his grandfather led Wilhelm towards the military lifestyle. He loved his numerous uniforms and was to surround himself with the elite of German military society. From the beginning, the conservative Prussian court was suspicious of the liberal English influence of his English mother. Victoria's personality did not help her allay their concerns. Despite attempts by his parents to give Wilhelm a liberal education, the prince became imbued with with the ethos of conservative nationalism. He was attracted to religious mysticism, militarism, anti-Semitism, the glorification of power politics. His narcistic personality was a factor. As soon as possible, Wilhelm's education was taken out of his mother's hands. Bismark and the Kaiser were very concerned about the Young Prince's unbringing. Bismarck and the Kaiser had concluded by this time that he could not alter the views of the Crown Prince. The Kaiser was determined to more carefully control the education of his grandson that than he did for his son. He and Bismark would do his best to see to it that Wilhelm's political attitudes were more carefully modeled. Wilhelm was educated at the University of Bonn. Bismarck saw the liberal views of the Crown Prince, Wilhelm's father, dangerous. The fact that his mother also held liberal views further worried Bismark. This conflict within the family must have affected the young Prince's relationship with his parents. A bitter conflict appears to have developed between the handicapped Prince and his liberal parents, especially his mother. Wilhelm himself came to dislike, some authors say "despise," his foreign mother and her liberal views. The irony is that while Bismark suceeded, the future Kaiser would eventually fire Bismark and start Germany's slow descent into the abyss of two great world wars.

Control

The young Prince's education has been described as a tug of war between the conservative influences of his Grandfather, the court, and Count von Bismark and the liberal attitudes of his father and mother. In the contest it was his Grandfather and Bismark who prevailed. From the beginning, the conservative Prussian court was suspicious of the liberal English influence of his English mother. Victoria's personality did not help her allay their concerns. One report suggests that Wilhelm's education was taken out of his mother's hands. I'm not sure this was the case as several choices suggest that it was Victoria who chose Dr. Hinzpeter. Bismark and the Kaiser were very concerned about the Young Prince's unbringing. Bismarck and the Kaiser had concluded by this time that he could not alter the views of the Crown Prince. The Kaiser apparently wanted to more carefully control the education of his grandson that than he did for his son. He and Bismark would do his best to see to it that Wilhelm's political attitudes were more carefully modeled. Bismarck saw the liberal views of the Crown Prince, Wilhelm's father, dangerous. The fact that his mother also held liberal views especially worried Bismark.

I am not sure who first selected Georg Hinzpeter as Wilhelm's tutor. But regardless of who selected him, the Crown Prince and Princess were very impressed with him and his educational system. Prince Henry joined his older brother 2 years latter with the full concurence of his parents. The choice of Hinzpeter was influenced by the English envoy Sir Robert Morier. Victoria hoped that Hinzpeter's liberal social views would influence Wilhelm's oulook.

Nursery

We are not yet sure just who controlled the nursery and how it was organized. Cerainly Vicyoria had considerable influences, but was not fully in charge. Wilhelm was removed from the nursery at age 7 and placed in the hand of a military governor or tutor.

Tutors

Wilhelm at the age of 7 years in January 1866 was removed from the nursery and his formal education began. Captain von Schrotter of the Guards Artillery became Wihelm's governor and his formal education in a schoolroom. I'm not sure how von Schrotter and the others involved in Wilhelm's education were chosen and to what extent the parents or grandparents made the selection. Von Schrotter became a military attaché in London. A seargent taught him to play the drum. A Potsdam school teacher was engaged to teach reading and writing. It was Georg Hinzpeter who was to have the greatest influence on Wilhelms character. Hinzpeter in mid-1866 was chosen as a civil tutor. Hinzpeter was a severe bachelor ahed 38 when he behan to work with Wilhelm. He had a doctorate in philosphy and clasical philology. Just as another German tutor, Florschütz who worked with the future Prince Consort Albert, may have been one of the most successfull teachers of the 19th century, Hinzpeter despite some worthy appraoches may be considered one of the least successfull teachers.

Formal Education

Kassel

Wilhelm took the qualifying examination for the Gynnasium (a academically oriented secondary school) in 1873. He sat papers in Latin, Greek, and mathematics. He attended the Kassel gymnasium (1874-77). This was a precedent breaking step for the Crown Prince's son to attend school with commoners. Wilhelm's Tutor Hinzpeter thought that having to compete with peers would spur the Prince on in his studies. Other German princes at this age were expected to begin military training. His father Kaisser Wilhelm I was not pleased with the idea, felling that Wilhelm might be exposed to dangerous ideas by some teachers. Heated discussions with his son and dauhter-in-law insued.

Wilhelm's regime at school was demanding. He woke at 5:00 am and was working ion his lessons by 6:00 am. Class were held from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon. There was a 2 hour break for lunch and exercize, followed by more classes from 2:00-4:00 pm. He then received private instruction from Dr. Hinzpeter. He had dinner from 5:00-6:00 after which he worked on his lessons for 2 more hours. He then had extra tuition in French and English from 8:00-9:00. He liked to read and was interested in history. He did not like math. He was reportedly very good at languages, although it later life thought to much effort had been given to classical languages. He also thought that German hisyory was poorly taught.

Dr. Hinzpeter arranged monthly dinners for Prince Wilhelm and Prince Henry with local notables. One historian reports that they were rather glum, formal affairs.

Wilhelm is not noted to have objected to the "Kassel experiment" as a boy. Looking back he later thought there was not enough attention to practical matters. He also thought it humiliating to have to compete with boys from the lower classes. His grandfather the Kaiser agreed.

Bonn

After Wilhelm graduated from gymnasium, he studied political science at the University of Bonn. His mother had wanted him to attend Oxford for a few years. His father as well as his English Uncle Alfred had attend Bonn University. He read political science and jurisprudence. He was mostly tutored at home rather than attending classes.

Impact

Despite the efforts of his parents and Hinzpeter's tutoring, Wilhelm gravetated toward a military lifestyle. He loved his numerous uniforms and was to surround himself with the elite of German military society. Despite attempts by his parents to give Wilhelm a liberal education, the prince became imbued with with the ethos of conservative nationalism. He was attracted to religious mysticism, militarism, anti-Semitism, the glorification of power politics. His narcistic personality was a factor.

The conflict within the family must have affected the young Prince's relationship with his parents. A bitter conflict appears to have developed between the handicapped Prince and his liberal parents, especially his mother. While a teenager at the Kassel gymnasium, he still had very tender feelings for his mother. This gradually changed. Wilhelm himself came to dislike, some authors say "despise," his foreign mother and her liberal views. The irony is that while Bismark suceeded, the future Kaiser would eventually fire Bismark, disregard his major precepts (foremost of all was to isolate France), and start Germany's slow descent into the abyss of two great world wars.

Sources

Röhl, John C.G. Young Wilhelm : the Kaiser's early life, 1859-1888, translated by Jeremy Gaines and Rebecca Wallach.

Van der Kriste, John. Kaiser Wihelm II: Germany's Last Kaiser (Bodmin: Sutton Publishing, 1999), 244p.

Created: July 1, 2001
Last updated: July 21, 2001