Person

Wilhelm II

abdicated 1918 · 20th century

Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, reigning from 1888 until his abdication in 1918. After dismissing Bismarck he pursued an assertive world policy, including a large naval programme that alienated Britain. His dismissal of Bismarck in 1890 exposed the system's fundamental weakness, and he abdicated on 9 November 1918 as revolution and defeat brought the empire to an end.

Wilhelm II
Image: Studio of Thomas Heinrich Voigt · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 profiles

German EmpireGovernance, DeclineKingdom of the NetherlandsMilitarySouth African RepublicImpact

Mentioned in 3 state histories

Kingdom of PrussiaDuchy of Courland and Semigallia (1918)Weimar Republic

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Wilhelm II. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/wilhelm-ii
MLA
“Wilhelm II.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/wilhelm-ii. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Wilhelm II.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/wilhelm-ii.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Wilhelm II’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/wilhelm-ii (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻