Get 30% your subscription today. William II, German Wilhelm II, in full Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert, (born January 27, 1859, Potsdam, near Berlin [Germany]—died June 4, 1941, Doorn, Netherlands), German emperor (kaiser) and king of Prussia from 1888 to the end of World War I in 1918, known for his frequently militaristic manner as well as for his vacillating policies.


On 9 July 1788 a religious edict was issued forbidding Finally, in 1791, a Protestant commission was established at Berlin (In his zeal for establishing Prussia as a paragon of stable Christian statehood, Frederick William outstripped his minister; he even blamed Wöllner's "idleness and vanity" for the inevitable failure of the attempt to regulate opinion from above, and in 1794 deprived him of one of his secular offices in order that he might have more time "to devote himself to the things of God"; in edict after edict the king continued to the end of his reign to make regulations "in order to maintain in his states a true and active Christianity, as the path to genuine fear of God".The attitude of Frederick William II towards the army and foreign policy proved fateful for Prussia. Frederick William, before the corpulence of his middle age, was a man of singularly handsome presence, not without mental qualities of a high order; he was devoted to the arts – The misgivings of Frederick II appear justified in retrospect.

This gave the new king much popularity with the masses; the educated classes were pleased by Frederick Williams's reversal of his uncle's preference for the In 1781 Frederick William, then prince of Prussia, inclined to The king proved eager to aid Wöllner's crusade.





; 25 September 1744 – 16 November 1797) was King of Prussia from 1786 until his death.
Frederick William II had no taste for military matters and put his authority as "Under the circumstances, Frederick William's interventions in European affairs were of little benefit to Prussia.



He assumed the crown as Friedrich I in 1701.

The army had been their first care, and its efficiency had been maintained by their constant personal supervision.

Januar 1859 in Berlin ; † 4. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.William was the eldest child of Crown Prince Frederick (later Emperor Difficult as William’s relations with his mother were, she left a deep and lasting mark on him.

November 1797 im Marmorpalais in Potsdam) war von 1786 bis zu seinem Tod König von Preußen, Markgraf von Brandenburg und Kurfürst des Heiligen Römischen Reiches.Er entstammte dem deutschen Fürstenhaus Hohenzollern und war auf dem preußischen Thron der Nachfolger Friedrichs des Großen, seines Onkels.

At the time of his birth, his great-grandfather Kaiser Wilhelm I was German Emperor.





The Frederick William's first marriage, to Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick (his first cousin) had ended after four years during which both spouses had been unfaithful.



Professor of European History, University of East Anglia, Norwich, England, 1966–74.

He was in personal union the Prince-elector of Brandenburg and (via the Orange-Nassau inheritance of his grandfather) sovereign prince of the Canton of Neuchâtel.