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After his father's untimely death in 1888, 29 year-old Wilhelm II becomes the ruler of Germany. |
"I had a peculiar passion for the navy. It sprang to no small extent from my English blood. When I was a little boy... I admired the proud British ships. There awoke in me the will to build ships of my own like these some day, and when I was grown up to possess a fine navy as the English."-- Kaiser Wilhelm II, autobiography My Early Life
Germany's monarch, Kaiser Wilhelm II had a withered and useless left arm caused by the use of forceps when he was born that also affected him psychologically and emotionally. He never wanted himself or Germany to appear weak; hence he developed a strong will, an aggressive demeanor and an arrogance that led to a complex mix of stubbornness and instability. He had no real political power, but appointed those who did - notably the chiefs of the army and navy, and the Chancellor, or Prime Minister.
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