1914 WWI GERMANY KAISER WILHELM II PROPAGANDA MEDAL

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WWI 1914 GERMANY ZINC MEDAL12.58grams - 33mmWorld War l 1914-1918Zinc medal 1914, by Lauer. On the propaganda Emperor Wilhelm II.Obverse;Bust of the Emperor in uniform.Reverse; Throne of swords surrounded, including drift us not the EROBERUNGSLUST of the INDOMITABLE will, the place to store, to which God has provided us, INSPIRES ... Zetzm: 2014 Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859-1941), Germany's last Kaiser, was born in Potsdam in 1859, the son of Frederick III and Victoria, daughter of Queen Victoria.Wilhelm's upbringing was strict and authoritarian.He was educated first at the Kassel Gymnasium and then at the University of Bonn.Wilhelm became emperor of Germany in 1888 following the death of Frederick II.At the time of his accession Otto von Bismarck was still German Chancellor; however he was effectively dismissed from office by Wilhelm II two years later.The elderly Bismarck proved unable - or unwilling - to manipulate the new Kaiser as he had his predecessor.Wilhelm was an overtly militaristic man, and believed fervently in increasing the strength of Germany's armed forces. In particular he was keen to develop a German navy the equal of Britain's Royal Navy, encouraged by Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz; the latter desire prompted the Liberal administration of the 1900's to finance rearmament of the Royal Navy.Wilhelm's policy towards Britain was by turns contradictory.Whilst supporting South Africa during the Second Boer War of 1899-1902, he attempted a reconciliation shortly afterwards. He held a senior position within the British armed forces; and he confessed that he could not envisage a war with Britain.Yet he publicly criticized King Edward VII, whom he described as Satan.Even after war was declared in August 1914 he wrote that war would never have occurred had Queen Victoria, who died in 1901, still held the British throne.Wilhelm suffered a nervous breakdown in 1908, consequently playing a lesser role in the government of Germany for the following few years.Wilhelm was, however, no friend of democracy.Following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary on 28 June 1914, Wilhelm and his Chancellor,Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg , incited Austria-Hungary to exact revenge against Serbia. Events spiralled throughout July resulting in the First World War.Wilhelm appeared not to foresee the consequences of an Austro-Hungarian attack on Serbia, pulling France, Russia and Britain into the war.Too late he attempted to scale back German involvement: he was firmly dissuaded by the German military.Wilhelm operated as Commander in Chief of the German armed forces throughout the war. Notwithstanding this, the German military operated under its own effective control: Wilhelm was essentially a figurehead.Wilhelm opposed the replacement of Erich Falkenhayn with Paul von Hindenburg in August 1916, but the dismissal of Falkenhayn took place nonetheless.Despite the great push of Spring 1918, which nearly won the war for Germany, Germany's ability to win the war in 1918 collapsed, as U.S. involvement took on real form, and shortages at home in Germany spun out of control. It became clear that Germany was set to lose the war.With revolution spreading to Berlin,Wilhelm was forced to abdicate on 9 November 1918.Chancellor Max von Baden pre-empted Wilhelm's decision by announcing his abdication to the public.Wilhelm sought exile in Holland,where he lived for the rest of his life.Holland refused to extradite Wilhelm as a war criminal to the Allies following the Armistice. The text of Kaiser Wilhelm II's abdication proclamation:I herewith renounce for all time claims to the throne of Prussia and to the German Imperial throne connected therewith. At the same time I release all officials of the German Empire and of Prussia, as well as all officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the navy and of the Prussian army, as well as the troops of the federated states of Germany, from the oath of fidelity which they tendered to me as their Emperor, King and Comman... read more

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