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Kaiser Wilhelm Ii: A Concise Life
Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859–1941) is one of the most fascinating figures in European history, ruling Imperial Germany from his accession in 1888 to his enforced abdication in 1918 at the end of the First World War. In one slim volume, John Röhl offers readers a concise and accessible survey of his monumental three-volume biography of the Kaiser and his reign. The book sheds new light on Wilhelm's troubled youth, his involvement in social and political scandals, and his growing thirst for glory, which, combined with his overwhelming nationalism and passion for the navy provided the impetus for a breathtaking long-term goal: the transformation of the German Reich into one of the foremost powers in the world. The volume examines the crucial role played by Wilhelm as Germany's Supreme War Lord in the policies that led to war in 1914. It concludes by describing the rabid anti-Semitism he developed in exile and his efforts to persuade Hitler to restore him to the throne.
262 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 2014
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475 people want to read
About the author
John C.G. Röhl
19 books8 followersJohn Charles Gerald Röhl was a British historian notable for his work on Imperial Germany and European history.
Originally from London, England, Röhl taught in Germany at the University of Hamburg and at the University of Freiburg. In 1964 he became a professor of European history at the University of Sussex, where he was given emeritus status in 1999.
Originally from London, England, Röhl taught in Germany at the University of Hamburg and at the University of Freiburg. In 1964 he became a professor of European history at the University of Sussex, where he was given emeritus status in 1999.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 3, 2022
The author, in his preface, explains that this book is a collection of the salient points of the life of Wilhelm II, collected from his 4,000 page trilogy of the Kaiser. I was rather glad to find this since I was not ready for a huge history at this point.
The book concentrates on the personality of the Kaiser and how it eventually led to the horrors of WWI. The idea of absolute monarchy was in its twilight but Wilhelm neither understood or accepted this change in governments. He constantly ranted in public speeches and in private that "I am the sole master of German policy....my will and my orders". He often appeared on the verge of insanity and the author suggests (with good source material) that this may have been a result of his difficult birth and the resultant handicaps.
He saw himself as a warrior king and was an anachronism of the times. He flirted with war from the minute he took the throne until that yearning culminated in WWI. Many of his goals were later reflected by Hitler as he dreamed of a Europe that would be ruled by the German empire.
The author has unimpeachable source material and his writing is fluid. I found the book interesting and rather disturbing.
The book concentrates on the personality of the Kaiser and how it eventually led to the horrors of WWI. The idea of absolute monarchy was in its twilight but Wilhelm neither understood or accepted this change in governments. He constantly ranted in public speeches and in private that "I am the sole master of German policy....my will and my orders". He often appeared on the verge of insanity and the author suggests (with good source material) that this may have been a result of his difficult birth and the resultant handicaps.
He saw himself as a warrior king and was an anachronism of the times. He flirted with war from the minute he took the throne until that yearning culminated in WWI. Many of his goals were later reflected by Hitler as he dreamed of a Europe that would be ruled by the German empire.
The author has unimpeachable source material and his writing is fluid. I found the book interesting and rather disturbing.
February 12, 2016
Condensing 4,000 pages into a mere 250 is too concise to remain clear: those without prior knowledge of Wilhelm II, most popularly through his vignettes prior to the war, such as his thinly veiled threats to two successive kings of Belgium, will still come away with little more than the image of a sable-rattling buffoon...
July 17, 2021
The figure of Wilhelm II is one of many contradictions: I guess historians had many discussions on Wilhem II and will do so for many years to come. Was he an idiot, or a crafty opportunist? And what was the role that Wilhelm played during the events leading up to the Great War? Is he really that guilty, or was he, as his adversaries, equally to blame?
This description of his "concise life" is just that: it gives a good introduction and is an extract of John C.G. Röhl's 4,000 page history - for those that lack the time or will to tackle this monumental book.
This description of his "concise life" is just that: it gives a good introduction and is an extract of John C.G. Röhl's 4,000 page history - for those that lack the time or will to tackle this monumental book.
January 22, 2016
John C.G. Rohl's "Kaiser Wilhelm II: A Concise Life," is a book obviously touching on the life and reign of Germany's last Hohenzollern monarch (and it's final monarch to date). Wilhelm II was a polarizing figure, often attributed to grandiose militancy and taste for autocratic rule in an age when many nations were moving toward democratization of their political systems.
Rohl's account of the Kaiser is brief, looking at his troubled birth and childhood, his limp arm (which plagued him for many years) and his rise and reign over the German nation through some of its most troubled years (WWI era).
Even so, Rohl handles the subject well and uses an unbiased approach to this case study. The book is much more focused on the political and historical details of the Kaisers reign, including who he kept around him, who he appointed to certain positions, and who he trusted (and did not trust).
All in all, this is an interesting and well crafted read on one of Germany's most controversial monarchs. The reader can see his obviously troubled upbringing, and the many situations that lead him down the road of autocracy, pettiness and ultimately incessant racism.
Recommended for fans of German/European history, or those who enjoy case studies on dictators and authoritarian figures.
Rohl's account of the Kaiser is brief, looking at his troubled birth and childhood, his limp arm (which plagued him for many years) and his rise and reign over the German nation through some of its most troubled years (WWI era).
Even so, Rohl handles the subject well and uses an unbiased approach to this case study. The book is much more focused on the political and historical details of the Kaisers reign, including who he kept around him, who he appointed to certain positions, and who he trusted (and did not trust).
All in all, this is an interesting and well crafted read on one of Germany's most controversial monarchs. The reader can see his obviously troubled upbringing, and the many situations that lead him down the road of autocracy, pettiness and ultimately incessant racism.
Recommended for fans of German/European history, or those who enjoy case studies on dictators and authoritarian figures.
April 15, 2020
Review to follow
April 12, 2023
A well detailed and short biography from Mr. Röhl. A much more condensed version of his Trilogy of the Kaiser, Mr. Röhl tells us the story of his rise, his downfall, and at the end, his brief relationship with Hitler, and the legacy that he had on him and the Nazi party. A great read and not too detailed even though it was from Cambridge.
May 30, 2024
I'm not sure how this author was able to condense a 4000 page trilogy into 190 pages. I'm definitely not a fan of abridgements (nor usually of short bios), but I also have an issue with three volume biographies (after two I'm ready to scream). This book was a super fascinating short read. I enjoyed every minute of it.
May 8, 2016
German historian John CG Rohl has written "Kaiser Wilhelm II: A Concise Life". When I ordered it, I didn't know just how "concise" the book was, but after reading it, I realised that it was exactly what I was looking for. The book is relatively brief, but Rohl does an excellent job in distilling Wilhelm's life to manageable size without leaving much out.
Wilhelm II was a problem-child who grew into a problem-adult. He was born with a withered arm - the result of a difficult birth - and suffered emotionally and physically. His mother - the eldest child of Queen Victoria - was cold to him and Wilhelm intensely disliked her his whole life. He was given a good education but concentrated on military issues. He considered himself a "warrior", despite his physical handicaps. Wilhelm came to power in his late 20's when his father, Frederick, died soon after assuming the throne on his father's death. He was an undisciplined ruler; often asking and then disregarding advise from people who knew far more than he did about the military and economics and politics.
Most of the Rohl's book centers on the pre-WW1 and war years. Wilhelm had been preparing for war against Russia, France, and England since the late 1800's. The Balkans - that "tinderbox" - had been waiting to explode long before the Austrian heir Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in June, 1914. Building up his army and navy, as well as his delusions of what he wanted after defeating England and France and Russia, Wilhelm was outplayed in the Great War. He abdicated and went into exile in the Netherlands in 1918. He lived until 1941 and was a great proponent of Hitler and his Nazis.
John Rohl's shortish book gives you a good look at Wilhelm. But if you'd like a longer book, order his three-set volume of Wilhelm's life. That set of books has 3884(!) pages and is available on Amazon/UK. I think this "concise" version might be more "doable".
Wilhelm II was a problem-child who grew into a problem-adult. He was born with a withered arm - the result of a difficult birth - and suffered emotionally and physically. His mother - the eldest child of Queen Victoria - was cold to him and Wilhelm intensely disliked her his whole life. He was given a good education but concentrated on military issues. He considered himself a "warrior", despite his physical handicaps. Wilhelm came to power in his late 20's when his father, Frederick, died soon after assuming the throne on his father's death. He was an undisciplined ruler; often asking and then disregarding advise from people who knew far more than he did about the military and economics and politics.
Most of the Rohl's book centers on the pre-WW1 and war years. Wilhelm had been preparing for war against Russia, France, and England since the late 1800's. The Balkans - that "tinderbox" - had been waiting to explode long before the Austrian heir Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in June, 1914. Building up his army and navy, as well as his delusions of what he wanted after defeating England and France and Russia, Wilhelm was outplayed in the Great War. He abdicated and went into exile in the Netherlands in 1918. He lived until 1941 and was a great proponent of Hitler and his Nazis.
John Rohl's shortish book gives you a good look at Wilhelm. But if you'd like a longer book, order his three-set volume of Wilhelm's life. That set of books has 3884(!) pages and is available on Amazon/UK. I think this "concise" version might be more "doable".
June 17, 2019
This book is a synopsis of the author’s three volume biography of Kaiser Wilhelm II written in a style that appeals to students of the historical period and casual readers as well. The difficulties faced by Wilhelm during childhood including his awkward and unsatisfying relationship with his mother are given prominence as an underlying reason why certain personality traits became magnified. His resentment for his mother, the daughter of Queen Victoria, and the English doctors who treated and mistreated him and his father, contributed to Wilhelm’s life-long hatred of England. His parents hoped to foster a liberal and progressive attitude in their son but he chose the opposite course, believing in his divine right to rule Germany and his destiny to create a German hegemony over Europe. Röhl makes clear the Kaiser’s antipathy toward England, democratic and parliamentary principles, Jews, Catholics, and non-Europeans dominated Wilhelm’s thinking his entire life. The reasons for the constant anxiety over war-clouds from the start of his reign until the eruption in August 1914 are more easily understood. A scholarly work organized in a manner to encourage additional reading on a myriad of topics related to the last German Kaiser.
February 4, 2019
Read as background material for a paper for a German history class.
Another book I used as research for a paper on Kaiser Wilhelm for my German history class. It's extremely short but has quite a bit of information on the daily life of the Kaiser from birth to his death in exile in the Netherlands. I think this would be a good place to start if you are wanting to know more about those who helped bring the world to it's first World War. It's another book I'd like to re-read when I'm not having to constantly stop to note references to the material I needed for my research paper.
Another book I used as research for a paper on Kaiser Wilhelm for my German history class. It's extremely short but has quite a bit of information on the daily life of the Kaiser from birth to his death in exile in the Netherlands. I think this would be a good place to start if you are wanting to know more about those who helped bring the world to it's first World War. It's another book I'd like to re-read when I'm not having to constantly stop to note references to the material I needed for my research paper.
January 13, 2017
Short single volume summary of a lengthy multiple volume study - which therefore addresses the key issue with almost all historical non-fiction of the length being much longer than is of interest to the general reader.
The brevity means that some elements are not fully explained - especially for example the history of German unification and the German system and at other times the account concentrates on the role of the Kaiser in an incident rather than the incident itself, however on this basis this works very well as a complement to other accounts and additional detail can easily be sourced elsewhere.
Roehl's portrayal of the Kaiser based on extensive research of his own writings, marginal notes and the contemporaneous accounts of others is not a pretty one. Inevitably influenced by his upbringing: physically handicapped and with an English mother who reacted to this handicap with disappointment and the imposition of a severe physical and teaching regime, he reacted against his parents' liberal views to believe absolutely in his divine rights and develop a reactionary approach to monarchy which Roehl says even contemporaries felt more suited to the 17th or 18th century than the Germany and world situation of the early 20th century.
Roehl casts severe doubts on the Kaiser's mental sanity and again sets out that many (for example those around him as well as leaders of competing countries) had the same doubts at the time, particularly around his pronouncements on and schemes for foreign policy.
In the build up to war Roehl paints a slightly more nuanced position - the Kaiser at crucial points acted as a break on war especially when fearing that Britain might intervene, so as to maintain their alliance.
Roehl's contention is that the war party around the Kaiser (all of whom the Kaiser personally appointed for their views) withheld crucial information from him at key points in 1914 and/or downplayed the strength of British conviction, allowing the Kaiser to fool himself that with what he believed to be his excellent understanding of and respect by the British he would be able to persuade them against intervening on the behalf of the fundamentally declining Slavic and Latin races in what the Kaiser believed to be a racial struggle with the up and coming Anglo Saxon races.
Finally Roehl makes it clear that in his view the Kaiser was a rabid anti-Semite and expansionist despot, determined to impose German hegemony in Europe even late on in the First World War, that the Kaiser saw Hitler as achieving what he had failed to achieve (due to the frustrations of the system around him) in the First World War and that the First World War was as much an existential battle for England as the Second World War. Several times even in the condensed volume Roehl refers to the revisionist review of German war guilt encapsulated in sleepwalkers how europe went to war in 1914, the and states firmly that such a view can only be held by deliberate obfuscation of some critical pieces of evidence.
Overall an excellent book due to the combination of brief focused chapters and strongly argued opinions evidenced from primary material.
The brevity means that some elements are not fully explained - especially for example the history of German unification and the German system and at other times the account concentrates on the role of the Kaiser in an incident rather than the incident itself, however on this basis this works very well as a complement to other accounts and additional detail can easily be sourced elsewhere.
Roehl's portrayal of the Kaiser based on extensive research of his own writings, marginal notes and the contemporaneous accounts of others is not a pretty one. Inevitably influenced by his upbringing: physically handicapped and with an English mother who reacted to this handicap with disappointment and the imposition of a severe physical and teaching regime, he reacted against his parents' liberal views to believe absolutely in his divine rights and develop a reactionary approach to monarchy which Roehl says even contemporaries felt more suited to the 17th or 18th century than the Germany and world situation of the early 20th century.
Roehl casts severe doubts on the Kaiser's mental sanity and again sets out that many (for example those around him as well as leaders of competing countries) had the same doubts at the time, particularly around his pronouncements on and schemes for foreign policy.
In the build up to war Roehl paints a slightly more nuanced position - the Kaiser at crucial points acted as a break on war especially when fearing that Britain might intervene, so as to maintain their alliance.
Roehl's contention is that the war party around the Kaiser (all of whom the Kaiser personally appointed for their views) withheld crucial information from him at key points in 1914 and/or downplayed the strength of British conviction, allowing the Kaiser to fool himself that with what he believed to be his excellent understanding of and respect by the British he would be able to persuade them against intervening on the behalf of the fundamentally declining Slavic and Latin races in what the Kaiser believed to be a racial struggle with the up and coming Anglo Saxon races.
Finally Roehl makes it clear that in his view the Kaiser was a rabid anti-Semite and expansionist despot, determined to impose German hegemony in Europe even late on in the First World War, that the Kaiser saw Hitler as achieving what he had failed to achieve (due to the frustrations of the system around him) in the First World War and that the First World War was as much an existential battle for England as the Second World War. Several times even in the condensed volume Roehl refers to the revisionist review of German war guilt encapsulated in sleepwalkers how europe went to war in 1914, the and states firmly that such a view can only be held by deliberate obfuscation of some critical pieces of evidence.
Overall an excellent book due to the combination of brief focused chapters and strongly argued opinions evidenced from primary material.
July 11, 2018
I really enjoyed this book it is definitely concise, but it very well touches on all the important issues and history . It’s not as short as a short story, it’s probably about 300 pages more or less ( I was reading on my kindle ) however compared other historical biographies that can go 1500 pages it’s comcise. The depressing part of this book Is exactly how many direct parallels there are between him and Donald Trump. They are very similar in nature and attitudes, which doesn’t bode well for Americans, as an example is this letter which I copied
“Wilhelm II takes everything personally. Only personal arguments make any impression on him. He likes to give advice to others but is unwilling to take it himself.
He cannot stand boredom; ponderous, stiff excessively thorough people get on his nerves and cannot get anywhere with him. Wilhelm II wants to shine and to do and decide everything himself.
What he wants to do himself unfortunately often goes wrong. He loves glory, he is ambitious and jealous.
To get him to accept an idea one has to pretend the idea came from him.
Never forget that his majesty needs praise from time to time. He is the sort of person who becomes sullen unless he is given recognition from time to time by someone of importance.
You will always be able to accomplish whatever you wish so long as as you do not omit to express your appreciation when his majesty deserves it.
He is grateful for it like a good clever child. If one remains silent when he deserves recognition, he eventually see malevolence in it.
We two will always carefully observe the boundaries of flattery.
Letter from Phillip Eulenberg to Bernhardt Von Bülow regarding Kaiser Wilhelm II”
“Wilhelm II takes everything personally. Only personal arguments make any impression on him. He likes to give advice to others but is unwilling to take it himself.
He cannot stand boredom; ponderous, stiff excessively thorough people get on his nerves and cannot get anywhere with him. Wilhelm II wants to shine and to do and decide everything himself.
What he wants to do himself unfortunately often goes wrong. He loves glory, he is ambitious and jealous.
To get him to accept an idea one has to pretend the idea came from him.
Never forget that his majesty needs praise from time to time. He is the sort of person who becomes sullen unless he is given recognition from time to time by someone of importance.
You will always be able to accomplish whatever you wish so long as as you do not omit to express your appreciation when his majesty deserves it.
He is grateful for it like a good clever child. If one remains silent when he deserves recognition, he eventually see malevolence in it.
We two will always carefully observe the boundaries of flattery.
Letter from Phillip Eulenberg to Bernhardt Von Bülow regarding Kaiser Wilhelm II”
February 28, 2019
A short bio based on the author's 3 volume massive biography of a leader who's personality bears more than a passing resemblance to Donald Trump. As of now though Wilhelm had a far more devastating effect on the country he led. Although intelligent, an injury he received during childbirth left Wilhelm with a useless left arm and withered hand. 19th century medical science could only torture him in trying to treat the injury, and his mother, otherwise admirable, could not give him affection. His response was to become a militaristic reactionary. In 1888, his grandfather died, followed shortly thereafter by his father and he was Kaiser. Although there were democratic trappings in Imperial Germany, Wilhelm had enormous power, and unfortunately used it very badly. Rohl, unlike Christopher Clark, author of The Sleepwalkers, believes most of the blame for WW1 can be laid at the foot of the Central Powers, and much comes from Wilhelm's policies - his navalism, his guarantee to the Austro-Hungarian General Staff, and his incessant need to meddle amongst other things.
This is a fine introduction to fin-de-siecle Imperial Germany and it's deeply flawed leadership.
This is a fine introduction to fin-de-siecle Imperial Germany and it's deeply flawed leadership.
February 2, 2025
Firstly. this is condensed from a 5 volume biography, so thanks! All the crunchy bits, none of the *tedious* geopolitics and blow-by-blow of treaties and negotiations.
We're here for the homosexual scandals, and the mother-son incest porn. What?! I hear you cry!
“I have been dreaming about your dear soft, warm hands, I am awaiting with impatience the time when I can sit near you and kiss them but pray keep your promise you gave me always to give me alone the soft inside of your hand to kiss, but of course you keep this as a secret for yourself.”
and
“I have again dreamt about you, this time I was alone with you in your library when you stretched forth your arms and pulled me down. Then you took off your gloves and laid your hand gently on my lips for me to kiss it...I wish you would do the same when I am in Berlin alone with you in the evening.”
How did Vicky respond to these letters? She would correct them in red pen and send them back, or be silent!
Read this book! However, with the Orange Idiot in office, these bombastic, belligerent, ignorant rantings of a narcissist aren't as funny. The past doesn't repeat, but it rhymes.
We're here for the homosexual scandals, and the mother-son incest porn. What?! I hear you cry!
“I have been dreaming about your dear soft, warm hands, I am awaiting with impatience the time when I can sit near you and kiss them but pray keep your promise you gave me always to give me alone the soft inside of your hand to kiss, but of course you keep this as a secret for yourself.”
and
“I have again dreamt about you, this time I was alone with you in your library when you stretched forth your arms and pulled me down. Then you took off your gloves and laid your hand gently on my lips for me to kiss it...I wish you would do the same when I am in Berlin alone with you in the evening.”
How did Vicky respond to these letters? She would correct them in red pen and send them back, or be silent!
Read this book! However, with the Orange Idiot in office, these bombastic, belligerent, ignorant rantings of a narcissist aren't as funny. The past doesn't repeat, but it rhymes.
October 12, 2024
John Rohl spent most of his adult life researching & writing about KWII. His scholarly books total thousands of pages, filled with fascinating excerpts from letters and other original sources -- but this very condensed version of the story is more appropriate for most people. Those who've read the blunder discourse of Chris Clark's 'Sleepwalkers' will be interested in Rohl's criticism of some of that book's scholarship (Rohl's view being that the Kaiser & his allies planned the war, to rule Europe).
July 28, 2017
Wilhelm has long been viewed as rather unbalanced and largely blamed for the Great War starting in 1914. That is reflected here, but most interesting to me is the info on his childhood, and the treatment (torture, really) for his stunted, useless arm, which had been damaged in childbirth.
One can't help but wonder how this informed his personality and different he may have been absent that experience.
One can't help but wonder how this informed his personality and different he may have been absent that experience.
March 13, 2018
Extensively documented story on the life of Wilhelm II. Compared to the book of Christopher Clarke, Sleepwalkers, Röhl is much more negative on the role of the Kaiser based on his study of all sources. Wilhelm appeared to have the ideas of monarchy of a few hundred years before.
June 6, 2019
Dit boekje gaat over de Duitse Keizer Wilhelm de laatste. En Röhl is een erkend Engels historicus. We hebben volgens een van de recensies hier te maken met een smetteloos wetenschappelijk werk.
Dit is geen vrolijk verhaal van een persoon waar Duitsland trots op kan zijn. Hij leefde van 1859- 1941. Hij is de man (een Hohenzollern, neef van Wilhelmina, kleinzoon van Koningin Victoria )die aan het eind van de WOI door Koningin Wilhelmina asiel in Nederland kreeg. Volgens Röhl een van de meest luxeuse ballingschappen uit de Europese geschiedenis. De boedel kwam over in 59 treinwagons naar Doorn.
Dit boek is interessant omdat het goed weergeeft hoe deze man de ontwikkeling van de geschiedenis niet begreep. Hij bewoog tegen de tijd in. Sloeg totaal de verkeerde toon aan, de verkeerde houding, de verkeerde beslissingen ( ontslag Bismarck) En militairen waren ook al niet blij met hem. En toch stond hij bij belangrijke scharnierpunten in de Duitse en dus Europese geschiedenis. Röhl heeft dat heel mooi samengevat in nog geen 200 bladzijden.
Dit is geen vrolijk verhaal van een persoon waar Duitsland trots op kan zijn. Hij leefde van 1859- 1941. Hij is de man (een Hohenzollern, neef van Wilhelmina, kleinzoon van Koningin Victoria )die aan het eind van de WOI door Koningin Wilhelmina asiel in Nederland kreeg. Volgens Röhl een van de meest luxeuse ballingschappen uit de Europese geschiedenis. De boedel kwam over in 59 treinwagons naar Doorn.
Dit boek is interessant omdat het goed weergeeft hoe deze man de ontwikkeling van de geschiedenis niet begreep. Hij bewoog tegen de tijd in. Sloeg totaal de verkeerde toon aan, de verkeerde houding, de verkeerde beslissingen ( ontslag Bismarck) En militairen waren ook al niet blij met hem. En toch stond hij bij belangrijke scharnierpunten in de Duitse en dus Europese geschiedenis. Röhl heeft dat heel mooi samengevat in nog geen 200 bladzijden.
March 11, 2016
Like some other reviewers, I find this biography a little too concise. Certain events - notably the 1st Moroccan Crisis, the Kruger Telegram, the Daily Telegraph Crisis - seem to assume knowledge of the reader beyond what is on the page.
I have been reading extensively on WW1 and wanted to expand my knowledge of this key figure. Although this book helped, I still feel I would have been better served by 400-500 pgs not 250. I'm not prepared to tackle 4000 pgs in 3 volumes.
I have been reading extensively on WW1 and wanted to expand my knowledge of this key figure. Although this book helped, I still feel I would have been better served by 400-500 pgs not 250. I'm not prepared to tackle 4000 pgs in 3 volumes.
July 27, 2016
A reminder of the excesses and fragility of mind of the last Kaiser and his autocratic exercise of power which would ultimately lead to his downfall.
A good book to read to refresh the memory of books read in the past, to keep the interest in Late 19th century/early 20th century alive.
Frightening to read that the Kaiser wrote about a United States of Europe as his ultimate aim.
A good book to read to refresh the memory of books read in the past, to keep the interest in Late 19th century/early 20th century alive.
Frightening to read that the Kaiser wrote about a United States of Europe as his ultimate aim.
May 4, 2015
Well he certainly had trauma as a child and the fact that Vicky could not love him must have greatly contributed to his behaviour in later life though it would seem he developed some bad traits of his own accord.
September 5, 2015
Too short! May need to also check out Rohls three volume biography. An anachronism in an age of emerging democratic rule he dreamed of a German Empire and autocratic rule. Sarajevo was a convenient excuse rather than an accidental trigger for a war.
September 12, 2015
As the title says, it was concise, but I learned quite a bit from it. Note that it was translated from German, so I felt the author had a different viewpoint from other biographies of Wilhelm II that I've read. I liked the writing style.
Read
December 29, 2015Excellent summarized version of Rohl's massive multi-volume, 4000 page biography of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Rohl clearly disagrees with Christopher Clark regarding the culpability of the Kaiser in starting World War I. Very interesting quick read.
Read
January 10, 2017Happy that this abbreviated volume exists, otherwise I would never have bothered with the 4,000-page original.
Learned about the broad strokes of Wilhelm II's personality flaws, militaristic fervor and goal of European domination. So glad that most monarchs don't have much power these days.
Learned about the broad strokes of Wilhelm II's personality flaws, militaristic fervor and goal of European domination. So glad that most monarchs don't have much power these days.
April 22, 2015
Extremely well written, lots, but really lots of research.
June 3, 2015
a concise but fulsome exploration of the Kaiser's political legacy and personal issues.. Enlightening. combined with my recent read on Queen Mary I have a fuller appreciation of 20tj century events.
July 24, 2015
A very condensed but essential bio of one of the most important historical figures of the late 19th and earliest 20th centuries. The evil he wrought lives on today.
May 19, 2016
An extremely readable book about a clearly deranged man, a man should sat on the most powerful throne in the world, and a man more responsible than any other for the horrors of WW1
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews