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Wilhelm II: Last German Emperor and King of Prussia

Wilhelm II: Last German Emperor and King of Prussia

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 The provided episode offers an extensive overview of the life and reign of Wilhelm II, the last German Emperor and King of Prussia. The content outlines his personal history, beginning with his traumatic birth that resulted in a physical disability, and his subsequent early life and education under strict Prussian military influence. A significant portion details his political career, including his accession to the throne, the dismissal of longtime Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, and his implementation of a "New Course" for Germany aimed at establishing the nation as a world power through naval expansion and promoting arts and sciences. The episode also explores his complex personality, his strained relationships with foreign relatives (particularly the British royal family), and his erratic foreign affairs that culminated in the July Crisis leading to World War I. Finally, the sources cover his reduced role as a "Shadow-Kaiser" during the war, his abdication and exile in the Netherlands, and his life and controversial political views (including antisemitism and his complex relationship with Nazism) until his death in 1941.
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