Wilhelm I of Germany

Wilhelm I of Germany (In English: William I), (March 22, 1797 ? March 9, 1888), German Emperor (Kaiser), ruled January 18, 1871 ? 1888 and king of Prussia, ruled 1861?1888.

King and Kaiser

On January 2, 1861 Friedrich Wilhelm died and Wilhelm ascended the throne as Wilhelm I of Prussia.

Related Topics:
January 2 - 1861

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He inherited a conflict between King and the liberal parliament. He was considered a politically neutral person as he intervened less in politics than his brother. He nevertheless found a conservative solution for the conflict: he appointed Otto von Bismarck to the office of Prime Minister. According to the Prussian constitution, the Prime Minister was solely responsible to the king, not to parliament. Bismarck liked to see his work relationship with Wilhelm as that of a vassal to his feudal superior. Nonetheless it was Bismarck who effectively directed the politics, interior as well as foreign; on several occasions he gained Wilhelm's assent by threatening to resign.

Related Topics:
Parliament - Otto von Bismarck - Prime Minister

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In the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War Wilhelm was proclaimed German Emperor on January 18, 1871 in Versailles, in the palace of Louis XIV. By this ceremony, the North German Confederation (1867-1871) was transformed into the German Empire ("Kaiserreich", 1871-1918). This Empire was a federal state; the emperor was head of state and president (primus inter pares) of the federated monarchs (the kings of Bavaria, Württemberg, Saxony, the grand dukes of Baden and Hesse, and so on, not to forget the senates of the free cities of Hamburg, Lübeck and Bremen). Wilhelm accepted the title "German Emperor" grudgingly; he would have preferred "Emperor of Germany", which however was unacceptable to the federated monarchs.

Related Topics:
Franco-Prussian War - January 18 - 1871 - Versailles - Louis XIV - North German Confederation - German Empire - Federal - Head of state - President - Primus inter pares - Bavaria - Württemberg - Saxony - Grand duke - Baden - Hesse - Senate - Free cities - Hamburg - Lübeck - Bremen

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In his memoirs, Bismarck describes Wilhelm as an old-fashioned, courteous, infallibly polite gentleman and a genuine Prussian officer, whose good common sense was occasionally undermined by "female influences".

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In May 11, 1878, anarchist Max Hödel attempted to assassinate Kaiser Wilhelm I in Berlin, but his attempt failed. This attempt became the pretext for the institution of the Anti-Socialist Law, which was introduced by Bismarck?s government with the support of a majority in the Reichstag on October 21, 1878, for the purpose of fighting the socialist and working-class movement. The law deprived the Social-Democratic Party of Germany of its legal status; it prohibited all its organisations, workers? mass organisations and the socialist and workers? press, decreed confiscation of socialist literature, and subjected Social-Democrats to reprisals. The law was extended every 2-3 years. Despite this policy of reprisals the Social-Democratic Party increased its influence among the masses. Under pressure of the mass working-class movement the law was repealed on October 1, 1890.

Related Topics:
May 11 - 1878 - Max Hödel - Berlin - Anti-Socialist - Reichstag - October 21 - Social-Democratic Party of Germany - October 1 - 1890

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