Wilhelm II: Into the Abyss of War and Exile, 1900–1941

Wilhelm II #3

by John C.G. Röhl, Sheila de Bellaigue (Translation), F.R. Bridge (Translator)

This final volume of John C. G. Rohl's acclaimed biography of Kaiser Wilhelm II reveals the Kaiser's central role in the origins of the First World War. The book examines the Wilhelm's part in the Boer War, the Russo-Japanese War, the naval arms race with Britain and Germany's rivalry with the United States as well as in the crises over Morocco, Bosnia and Agadir. It also sheds new light on the public scandals which accompanied his reign from the allegations of homosexuality made against his intimate friends to the Daily Telegraph affair. Above all, John Rohl scrutinises the mounting tension between Germany and Britain and the increasing pressure the Kaiser exerted on his Austro-Hungarian ally from 1912 onwards to resolve the Serbian problem. Following Germany's defeat and Wilhelm's enforced abdication, he charts the Kaiser's bitter experience of exile in Holland and his frustrated hopes that Hitler would restore him to the throne..

Genres: Biography, Germany, History, World War I, European History

1591 pages, Hardcover

First published January 9, 2009

About the author

John 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.

Reviews

[Rachel Boothe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides a clear picture of the damage that can occur when an autocratic ruler who believes in the divine right of kings is surround by sycophants. The book takes place at the height of Kaiser Wilhelm's personal monarchy. Wilhelm believed he was an expert on everything, literally. He did not listen to responsible advisors but only the sycophants who made up his entourage. Sadly, even his Prime Ministers would not stand up to him, except for Bismarck. There were several scandals that happened in the later years of Wilhelm's reign before WWI in which the responsible government could have taken the upper hand. There were meetings in the Reichstag to decry the scandals caused by Wilhelm, but no one would follow through and put actions to their words. Wilhelm appointed men to positions for which they were not suited and made foreign policy decisions based on his feeling about personal insults instead of what was best for the German people as a whole. He only thought of himself. His bombastic and threatening words on which he would backtrack finally got him and the Hohenzollern Monarchy into trouble. I learned some interesting things about WIlhelm's involvement in the start of WWI that I did not know in terms how much his advisors played a role.

There is one thing I have to ding this book on. William's second marriage to Hermine was described in the beginning as losing its luster for both marriage partners early on, but later on the impression is given through Hermine's letters that she really loves him and wants him to be happy. How that shift happened is never explained.

I do highly recommend this book if you are interested in learning about Wilhelm II.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic 2nd half of life biography of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Lots of interesting details, like his weird letters: to foreign leaders whom he amateurishly tries to play off against each other, to his cousin the Tsar, with advice about how to defeat Japan. And interesting medium things, like the weird controversy in which the macho war lord's circle of best friends were outed as gay, and his family's dance with the Nazis. And interesting big things, like the question of how much responsibility the Kaiser had in starting WW1. There seems to be a subtext of Great Man theory, with the Kaiser being pivotal to the conflagration, but there are a number of examples of the Kaiser being less warlike than other major parties, arguably chickening out. If he had died & the more warlike and racist crown prince had taken over before WW1, historians could argue that the Kaiser would have avoided the disaster. Now I need to go back & read the 1st half.

[Robert Ottoboni · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and frightening look at what happens when the 'personal' style of leadership is taken too far, one man insisting on holding all the levers of power and thus reducing his government to a cadre of yes men. The consequences are well known but the few decades before World War I are a set piece on the political science of the incompetent and how everyone else tries with increasing hopelessness to keep the peace.

Sound familiar?

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very long; very, very long.