Wilhelm, << VIHL hehlm, >> or in English, William, was the name of two German emperors.
Wilhelm I
(1797-1888) became king of Prussia and the first emperor of modern Germany. During the revolution of 1848, Wilhelm became unpopular because he opposed constitutional reform. He was forced to leave the country, but he soon came back and put down an uprising in Baden. In 1858, Wilhelm became regent in place of his brother, Frederick William IV, who was suffering from mental disorders. He was proclaimed king of Prussia and given the title Wilhelm I in 1861. He supported the policies of his prime minister, Otto von Bismarck, who brought about three wars while unifying the German states (see Bismarck, Otto von ). During the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, Wilhelm became kaiser (emperor) of a united Germany (see Franco-Prussian War ).
Wilhelm was born in Berlin on March 22, 1797. He was the second son of Frederick William III, king of Prussia. Wilhelm was trained as a soldier from his early youth, and he fought in the war of 1814 and 1815 against Napoleon I. He died on March 9, 1888. See also Prussia.
Wilhelm II
(1859-1941) was the last emperor of Germany. The Hohenzollern dynasty, which had ruled Prussia since 1701, ended with him (see Hohenzollern ). Wilhelm was the kaiser of World War I (1914-1918). He received blame for the war, but historians now believe that Russia and Austria were equally guilty in starting it.
Wilhelm, the grandson of Wilhelm I, was born in Berlin on Jan. 27, 1859. He was the oldest son of Emperor Frederick III and Princess Victoria, daughter of Queen Victoria of England. George V of England and Nicholas II of Russia, who fought against him during World War I, were his cousins. His education emphasized military training and made him friendly to the aristocratic military class. Wilhelm had a paralyzed left arm. He hid this weakness and ruled as the most powerful figure in Germany.
Wilhelm came to the throne in 1888 after the 100-day reign of his father. Bismarck was still chancellor and prime minister, but Wilhelm dismissed him in 1890. Under Wilhelm’s reign, Germany became prosperous. He encouraged manufacturing and trade. He gained colonies in Africa and the Pacific Ocean, and he built up the army and navy until they were among the world’s greatest. His program of colonial, naval, and foreign trade expansion brought Germany into conflict with Britain.
In 1890, Wilhelm broke the old Prussian alliance with Russia. This diplomatic blunder forced Germany in 1914 to fight a two-front war and led that nation to ultimate defeat (see Germany (History) ). Early in November 1918, several revolts broke out and the German Navy mutinied. On November 7, the prime minister demanded that Wilhelm give up his throne. Wilhelm abdicated two days later. He fled to the Netherlands, which was neutral. For more than 20 years he lived in comfortable exile at Doorn. He died in Doorn on June 5, 1941. 
