Kaiser William II and the First World War: Analysis and Conclusion
Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert (1859-1941) known as William II, emperor of Germany and Prussia, was largely instrumental in his policies of bringing about the events that led to the First World War. (William II) He was born in Berlin in 1859 and received his educated at the University of Bonn. He was son of Prince Frederick William, who became German emperor as Frederick III, and Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise, eldest daughter of Queen Victoria of Britain. William became emperor in 1888 after the death of his father. (William II) His ancestry played an important role in many of his decisions and some researchers suggest that inherited traits could also have been a factor in terms of certain psychological aspects of his character. William II is seen by many commentators as a central instigator of the First World War due to his polices. In order to gain insight into the character of William II it is important to summarize some of the main historical facts that led to the First World War. The main events that led to the war can be simplified as follows. In the first place growing nationalism was one of the fuses that were to ignite the First World War. This was particularity the
Similarly, his policy of friendship with Russia and support of Russian ambitions in East Asia was negated by his encouragement of Austro-Hungarian actions in the Balkans. " (William II: German Emperor, King of Prussia) Taking this view into account it would seem that he was in fact "poorly equipped" in terms of psychology to deal with the complex trajectory of German foreign policy at the time. case in the Balkans, where the many different ethnic groups posed a problem for Austria-Hungary. He professed deep friendship for Britain but drove that country into an alliance with France and Russia by his aggressive program of colonial, commercial, and naval expansion. "Though he had ambitions for the German Empire to be a world power, it was never William's intention to conjure a large-scale conflict to achieve such ends. Researchers assert that the influence of Otto von Bismarck had a detrimental affect on the earlier life of William and that it created tension and friction within his family. William II supported Austria-Hungary and incited war against Serbia. Furthermore, there is also the contention that "Both sides of his family had suffered from mental illness, and this may explain his emotional instability. For example, one study notes that while foreign affairs interested him, his policies were often contradictory and confused. "William was an impatient man, subjective in his reactions and affected strongly by sentiment and impulse. These policies, in conjunction with other complex historical factors, were to ignite the First World War. With regard to the question of blame or culpability for the start of World War One, there are many different views on the subject.
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