Synopses & Reviews
Kaiser Wilhelm II is one of the key figures in the history of twentieth-century Europe: King of Prussia and German Emperor from 1888 to the collapse of Germany in 1918 and a crucial player in the events that led to the outbreak of World War I. Drawing on a wide range of sources, including unpublished archival material, this study focuses on:
* the character and extent of his power
* his political goals
* his success in achieving them
* the mechanisms by which he projected authority and exercised influence.
* his role in the formation of foreign policy and his impact on the events of July 1914
Following Kaiser Wilhelm's political career from his youth at the Hohenzollern court through the turbulent peacetime decades of the Wilhelmine era into global war and exile, the book presents a new interpretation of this controversial monarch and assesses the impact on Germany of his forty-year reign.
Christopher Clark is a Lecturer in Modern European History at St Catharine's College, Cambridge University.
Review
'Christopher Clark has done the impossible, namely, produce a new biography of Wilhelm II that makes a fresh and enlightening contribution to German political history...brings the Kaiser's life into critical and illuminating review' German History
Synopsis
The latest book in the popular Profiles in Power Series, Kaiser Wilhelm provides a concise and analytical examination which covers the entire span of the Kaiser's life, including his years in exile. Wilhelm was one of the key figures in the history of twentieth century Europe as King of Prussia and German Emperor from 1888 to the collapse of Germany in 1918. . Offers an analytical study of the nature and extent of Wilhelm's political power, examines his political goals and success in achieving them, as well as, his failings as a ruler, and explores the collapse of Prussia's monarchy. Of interest to readers of German history or World War I. Hardcover 0-582-24560-5 $ 69.95
Table of Contents
1. Childhood and youth2. Taking Power3. Going it alone4. Domestic politics from Bulow to Bethmann5. Wilhelm II and foreign policy, 1888-19116. Power and publicity7. From crisis to war: 1909-19148. War, exile, death: 1914-19419. Conclusion