Kaiser Wilhelm II: photo and biography

The last emperors of Germany were called Kaisers. Although this German monarch title in the German-speaking countries was applied to the emperors of all times and peoples, in other European states this term was used only for the last three representatives of the dynasty of Swabian origin (southwest Germany, the upper Danube and the Rhine) of the Hohenzollerns - Wilhelm I, Friedrich III And Wilhelm II.

Difficult appearance in the world

Kaiser Wilhelm II was not only the last monarch of the dynasty, but also the last German emperor in general. This person was very complicated. The first child of eight children Friedrich of Prussia and the English Princess Victoria was born as a result of difficult births, which were so complex that the future German Kaiser Wilhelm II for all his life remained flawed, with severe physical disabilities. The left arm was damaged and remained shorter than the right one by 15 cm. The fracture of the brachial nerve and torticollis supplemented the list of diseases acquired at birth. The child was subject to continuous painful procedures and operations.

Formation of character

Naturally, attention to him from all dynastic relatives was elevated - he was spoiled. In addition, the corporeal parents compensated for their physical defects by an excellent comprehensive education. And it is not at all surprising that the last German Kaiser Wilhelm II character was not just hard, but terrible - he was arrogant, arrogant and vindictive. His egoism, according to contemporaries, had a "crystalline firmness". This monster plunged Europe into the First World War. Numerous photographs captured the descendants of this cruel man's face.

"The Year of Three Emperors"

Born in 1859, already in 1888 he became an emperor. The good Kerman, led by the "Iron Chancellor" Otto von Bismarck, Wilhelm I, dies in 1888, which in the history of Germany was called "the year of the three emperors." His son Friedrich III of Prussia Kaiser stayed only 99 days, since he died suddenly from cancer of the larynx. June 15, 1888 Wilhelm II - a man with an overestimated self-esteem, unbending faith in his genius and the ability to change the world - ascended the German throne.

Rushing to power

Previously, the fanatical desire to be the first to be hampered by physical shortcomings and psychological difficulties. After the coronation, the passions escaped. Ministers were forbidden to even think for themselves. Bismarck, before whom William I worshiped, was dismissed, many laws passed by the builder of the united Germany were abolished, which had very deplorable consequences (especially the repeal of the law against the socialists). In a short time, the party of the new Kaiser, demanding a change in the state structure, gained unprecedented power and strength. This could not ultimately lead to the collapse of the state.

Militarist

The economy created by Bismarck, by the end of the century, made Germany the leading country in Europe. Appetites of the Kaiser flared up, he proceeded to reorganize, equip and increase the army. The military budget was increased by 18 million marks, the strength of the army grew by 18 thousand people. This could not help but frighten Russia and Britain, which have recoiled from Germany. German Kaiser Wilhelm was left without allies. In the unleashed war it was supported only by Austria-Hungary. Using the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand, he declared war on Russia and England, and then all of Europe.

Reckless and flimsy adventurer

But with the outbreak of hostilities, the last German Emperor somehow quickly lost interest in the massacre he had started, and by the beginning of 1915 he had not interfered in anything. The war with all Europe was led by the generals Hindenburg and Ludendorff. The November Revolution broke out in Germany on November 4, 1918. The empire came to a close, Wilhelm was removed from power, and he fled with the family to the Netherlands. He wanted to be tried as a war criminal, but the queen of this country Wilhelmina flatly refused to extradite him. He lived for another 20 years, sincerely rejoicing at every action of the fascists, he filled Hitler with congratulatory telegrams. In his castle Dorn, he died June 4, 1941 and the defeat of "great Germany" did not see.

Coinage

Under Otto von Bismarck, who was considered the "architect" of the united Germany, it was not only the Empire that was created, the economy was developed, a single currency appeared in this country. Silver coins of Kaiser Wilhelm I began to be minted after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. They were minted from 1873 to 1919. With the introduction in 1924 of the Reichsmark, silver coins were demonetized.

Tribute to grandson's grandfather

The Germans, like other peoples, honor the memory of historical figures. The Church of Kaiser Wilhelm in Berlin is a kind of monument to the first and last emperors of Germany. Another short title is Gedektniskirkha, and the Berliners called it "hollow tooth". The cult Protestant building was erected according to Franz Schwechten's project. This is a tribute to the grandson's memory of his grandfather. The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church was built in 1891-1895. For a long time it remained the highest in Berlin - it rises to 113 meters.

Restoration of the church destroyed by the raid

The original building was completely destroyed by Allied aviation on November 23, 1943. But the memory of her was so dear to the Berliners that when in its place the city authorities decided to build a new building, they rose to protect the church. All the newspapers were filled with angry and indignant letters. The protest was successful. The church of Kaiser Wilhelm was reconstructed according to the project of Egon Ayermann. The ruins of a huge 68-meter tower were preserved, and around them an architect built modern structures, in particular, another octagonal tower, crowned with a cross and consisting of hundreds of saturated blue. The bell rings on the tower every hour.

Modern architecture

The originality of the restored cult construction allowed the guests of the capital to call it the "Blue Church". Countless glasses of this color are inserted into concrete honeycombs, inside of which is a light source. The whole new tower acquires a mysterious blue glow. The light that penetrates from the outside and burns inside the building creates an amazing effect. The floating almost 5-meter figure of Christ with outstretched hands as if ascended above the stylized altar. The new church was consecrated in 1961. Weekly organ concerts held here are extremely popular among Berliners and guests of the capital of Germany. The church of Kaiser Wilhelm, located on Bright Square, after the reconstruction became a kind of memorial of destruction and creation. The ruins of the old tower are left as a monument-warning.

Another memorable object

The memory of the last German Emperor is preserved in one more place. There is a Kaiser Wilhelm channel in the country. The Kiel Canal is navigable and connects the Baltic and North Seas. The length of it from the mouth of the Elbe to the Kiel Bay is 98 kilometers. The width is 100 meters, which makes it possible for the battleships to follow from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea not around Denmark, but directly. The channel, which was officially commissioned in June 1895 by the Kaiser Wilhelm II, is now very actively used. It is open for international use.