Wilhelm II was born on 27 January 1859 in Kronprinzenpalais. The last German Emperor and King of Prussia, Wilhelm II was the grandson of Queen Victoria and came to the throne in 1888. He dismissed Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in 1890 and pursued an assertive foreign policy, including a naval buildup that strained relations with Britain. His erratic public statements damaged Germany's standing. Germany's alliance system drew it into the First World War, in which the generals held increasing power. As defeat approached and revolution broke out in November 1918, he abdicated and fled to the Netherlands, which refused to extradite him. He lived in exile at Doorn until his death in 1941, and the monarchy was never restored.
Before and after
- 1859Publication of Ja, vi elsker dette landet
- 1859Construction of Neues Museum
- 1859Publication of A Tale of Two Cities
- 1859John Tyndall measures how gases trap heat
- 27 January 1859Birth of Wilhelm II
- 19 February 1859Birth of Svante August Arrhenius
- 8 April 1859Birth of Edmund Husserl
- from 27 April 1859 to 11 July 1859Second Italian War of Independence
- 6 May 1859Death of Alexander von Humboldt
More in Wars, politics & history
- 1790Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
- from 24 June 1812 to 14 December 1812French invasion of Russia
- from 24 April 1846 to 2 February 1848Mexican-American War
- from 18 August 1866 to 10 May 1871Unification of Germany
- from 1 August 1894 to 17 April 1895First Sino-Japanese War
- from 8 October 1912 to 30 May 1913First Balkan War
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.