German Emperor

The German Emperor (German: Deutscher Kaiser, pronounced

Emperor of Germany
[ˈdɔʏtʃɐ ˈkaɪzɐ] ( listen)) was the official title of the head of state
and hereditary ruler of the German Empire. A specifically chosen Deutscher Kaiser
term, it was introduced with the 1 January 1871 constitution and IMPERIAL
lasted until the official abdication of Wilhelm II on 9 November
1918.[1] The Holy Roman Emperor is sometimes also called
"German Emperor" when the historical context is clear, as derived
from the Holy Roman Empire's official name of "Holy Roman
Empire of the German Nation" from 1512.

Following the revolution of 1918, the head of state was the

president of the Reich (German: Reichspräsident), beginning with
Friedrich Ebert.
Imperial coat of arms

Contents
German Empire (1848–49)
Creation
Full titles
Wilhelm I
Frederick III
Wilhelm II
German Emperors (1871–1918)
See also
References
Citations First to reign
Bibliography Wilhelm I
External links 18 January 1871 – 9 March 1888

Details

German Empire (1848–49) Style His Imperial

Majesty
In the wake of the revolutions of 1848 and during the German First monarch Wilhelm I
Empire (1848–49), King Frederick Wilhelm IV of Prussia was Last monarch Wilhelm II
offered the title "Emperor of the Germans" (German: Kaiser der
Deutschen) by the Frankfurt Parliament in 1849, but declined it as Formation 1 January 1871
"not the Parliament's to give". Frederick Wilhelm believed that Abolition 28 November 1918
only the German princes had the right to make such an offer, in Residence Berlin City Palace
accordance with the traditions of the Holy Roman Empire.
Appointer Hereditary
Pretender(s) Georg Friedrich
Creation
The title was carefully chosen by Otto von Bismarck, Minister
President of Prussia and Chancellor of the North German
Confederation, after discussion which continued until the
proclamation of King Wilhelm I of Prussia as emperor at the Palace
of Versailles during the Siege of Paris. Wilhelm accepted this title
grudgingly on 18 January, having preferred "Emperor of Germany"
(German: Kaiser von Deutschland). However, that would have
signaled a territorial sovereignty unacceptable to the South German
monarchs, as well as a claim to lands outside his realm (Austria,
Proclamation of Wilhelm I as
Switzerland, Luxembourg, etc.).[2][3]
German Emperor in the Hall of
Mirrors in Versailles, France (painting
"Emperor of the Germans", as had been proposed at the Frankfurt
by Anton von Werner)
Parliament in 1849, was ruled out by Wilhelm as he considered
himself a king who ruled by divine right and chosen "By the Grace
of God", not by the people in a popular monarchy.[4] But more in
general, Wilhelm was unhappy about a crown that looked artificial (like Napoléon's), having been created
by a constitution. He was afraid that it would overshadow the Prussian crown.

Since 1867, the presidency (Bundespräsidium) of the North German Confederation had been a hereditary
office of the kings of Prussia. The new constitution of 1 January 1871, following Reichstag and Bundesrat
decisions on 9/10 December, transformed the North German Confederation (German: Norddeutscher
Bund) into the German Empire (German: Deutsches Reich). This empire was a federal monarchy; the
emperor was head of state and president of the federated monarchs (the kings of Bavaria, Württemberg,
Saxony, the grand dukes of Baden, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Hesse, among others, as well as the
principalities, duchies and of the free cities of Hamburg, Lübeck and Bremen).[5][6][7]

Under the imperial constitution, the empire was a federation of states under the permanent presidency of the
king of Prussia.[8] Thus, the imperial crown was directly tied to the Prussian crown—something Wilhelm II
discovered in the aftermath of World War I. He erroneously believed that he ruled the empire in personal
union with Prussia. With the war's end, he conceded that he could not remain emperor, but initially thought
he could at least retain his Prussian crown.[9] However, his last chancellor, Prince Max of Baden, knew this
was legally impossible, and announced Wilhelm's abdication of both thrones on 9 November, two days
before the Armistice. Realizing his situation was untenable, Wilhelm went into exile in the Netherlands later
that night. It was not until 28 November that Wilhelm formally gave up all "rights to the crown of Prussia
and to the rights to the German imperial crown connected therewith."

Full titles
The German Emperors had an extensive list of titles and claims that reflected the geographic expanse and
diversity of the lands ruled by the House of Hohenzollern.

Wilhelm I

His Imperial and Royal Majesty Wilhelm I, By the Grace of God, German Emperor and King of Prussia;
Margrave of Brandenburg, Burgrave of Nuremberg, Count of Hohenzollern; sovereign and supreme Duke
of Silesia and of the County of Glatz; Grand Duke of the Lower Rhine and of Posen; Duke of Saxony, of
Westphalia, of Angria, of Pomerania, Lunenburg, Holstein and Schleswig, of Magdeburg, of Bremen, of
Guelders, Cleves, Jülich and Berg, Duke of the Wends and the Kassubes, of Crossen, Lauenburg and
Mecklenburg; Landgrave of Hesse and Thuringia; Margrave of Upper and Lower Lusatia; Prince of
Orange; Prince of Rügen, of East Friesland, of Paderborn and Pyrmont, of Halberstadt, Münster, Minden,
Osnabrück, Hildesheim, of Verden, Cammin, Fulda, Nassau and Moers; Princely Count of Henneberg;
Count of Mark, of Ravensberg, of Hohenstein, Tecklenburg and Lingen, of Mansfeld, Sigmaringen and
Veringen; Lord of Frankfurt.[10][11]

Frederick III

His Imperial and Royal Majesty Frederick III, By the Grace of God, German Emperor and King of Prussia,
Margrave of Brandenburg, Burgrave of Nuremberg, Count of Hohenzollern, Duke of Silesia and of the
County of Glatz, Grand Duke of the Lower Rhine and of Posen, Duke of Saxony, of Angria, of
Westphalia, of Pomerania and of Lunenburg, Duke of Schleswig, of Holstein and of Crossen, Duke of
Magdeburg, of Bremen, of Guelderland and of Jülich, Cleves and Berg, Duke of the Wends and the
Kashubians, of Lauenburg and of Mecklenburg, Landgrave of Hesse and in Thuringia, Margrave of Upper
and Lower Lusatia, Prince of Orange, of Rugen, of East Friesland, of Paderborn and of Pyrmont, Prince of
Halberstadt, of Münster, of Minden, of Osnabrück, of Hildesheim, of Verden, of Kammin, of Fulda, of
Nassau and of Moers, Princely Count of Henneberg, Count of the Mark, of Ravensberg, of Hohenstein, of
Tecklenburg and of Lingen, Count of Mansfeld, of Sigmaringen and of Veringen, Lord of Frankfurt.[12]

Wilhelm II

His Imperial and Royal Majesty Wilhelm II, By the Grace of God, German Emperor and King of Prussia,
Margrave of Brandenburg, Burgrave of Nuremberg, Count of Hohenzollern, Duke of Silesia and of the
County of Glatz, Grand Duke of the Lower Rhine and of Posen, Duke of Saxony, of Angria, of
Westphalia, of Pomerania and of Lunenburg, Duke of Schleswig, of Holstein and of Crossen, Duke of
Magdeburg, of Bremen, of Guelderland and of Jülich, Cleves and Berg, Duke of the Wends and the
Kashubians, of Lauenburg and of Mecklenburg, Landgrave of Hesse and in Thuringia, Margrave of Upper
and Lower Lusatia, Prince of Orange, of Rugen, of East Friesland, of Paderborn and of Pyrmont, Prince of
Halberstadt, of Münster, of Minden, of Osnabrück, of Hildesheim, of Verden, of Kammin, of Fulda, of
Nassau and of Moers, Princely Count of Henneberg, Count of the Mark, of Ravensberg, of Hohenstein, of
Tecklenburg and of Lingen, Count of Mansfeld, of Sigmaringen and of Veringen, Lord of Frankfurt.[13]

German Emperors (1871–1918)

Reign Reign
Name Lifespan Notes Family Image
start end
Held the presidency
of the Confederation
(Bundespräsidium) in
22 March the North German
Wilhelm I 9 March
1797 – 9 1 Confederation from
1888
the Great
March January 1867 (such title being Hohenzollern
[14] (17 years,
1888 1871 retained as a
69 days)
(aged 90) subsidiary title
following the creation
of the German
Empire).
Frederick III
18 9 March 15 June Son of Wilhelm I Hohenzollern
[15] October 1888 1888
1831 – (99 days)
 15 June
1888
(aged 56)

27 28
January November
Grandson of Wilhelm
1859 – 4 15 June 1918
Wilhelm II I
Hohenzollern
June 1888 (abdicated)
Son of Friedrich III
1941 (30 years,
(aged 82) 167 days)

See also
Crown of Wilhelm II
German State Crown
History of Germany
Holy Roman Emperor
List of German monarchs
List of monarchs of Prussia
Family tree of the German monarchs
Year of the Three Emperors

References

Citations
1. Statement of Abdication of Wilhelm II
2. William Dawson (14 July 2017). History of the German Empire (https://books.google.com/bo
oks?id=bmktDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT355). Merkaba Press. p. 355.
3. Ernst Rudolf Huber: Deutsche Verfassungsgeschichte seit 1789. Band III: Bismarck und das
Reich. 3rd edition, W. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1988, p. 750-753.
4. Heinrich August Winkler (2006). Germany: 1789–1933 (https://books.google.com/books?id=
MJQZ7sN0a_YC&pg=PA189). Oxford University Press. p. 189. ISBN 978-0-19-926597-8.
5. Karl Kroeschell: Deutsche Rechtsgeschichte, Bd. 3: Seit 1650, 5. Aufl., Böhlau/UTB,
Köln/Weimar/Wien 2008, S. 235.
6. Michael Kotulla: Deutsche Verfassungsgeschichte: Vom Alten Reich bis Weimar (1495–
1934), 2008, Rn. 2042.
7. Klaus Stern: Das Staatsrecht der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Band V: Die geschichtlichen
Grundlagen des deutschen Staatsrechts. Die Verfassungsentwicklung vom Alten Deutschen
Reich zur wiedervereinigten Bundesrepublik Deutschland. C.H. Beck, München 2000,
ISBN 978-3-406-07021-1, Rn. 128.
8. Burgess, John W. (1888). "Tenure and Powers of the German Emperor" (https://www.jstor.or
g/stable/2139036). Political Science Quarterly. 3 (2): 334–357. doi:10.2307/2139036 (https://
doi.org/10.2307%2F2139036). ISSN 0032-3195 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0032-3195).
JSTOR 2139036 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/2139036).
 9. Wilhelm II (1922). The Kaiser's Memoirs (https://archive.org/details/kaisersmemoirs001358m
bp). Translated by Thomas R. Ybarra. Harper & Brothers Publishers. pp. 285 (https://archive.
org/details/kaisersmemoirs001358mbp/page/n296)-91.
10. "Wilhelm II, Emperor of Germany (1859-1941)" (https://web.archive.org/web/2007122212405
0/http://regiments.org/biography/royals/1859wilG.htm). regiments.org. Archived from the
original (http://regiments.org/biography/royals/1859wilG.htm) on 22 December 2007.
Retrieved 11 January 2022.
11. Rudolf Graf v. Stillfried: Die Titel und Wappen des preußischen Königshauses. Berlin 1875.
12. "Titles of Frederick III" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070314063126/http://regiments.org/bio
graphy/royals/1859wilG.htm#titles). Archived from the original (http://regiments.org/biograph
y/royals/1859wilG.htm) on 14 March 2007. Retrieved 15 October 2007.
13. "Titles of Wilhelm II" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070314063126/http://regiments.org/biog
raphy/royals/1859wilG.htm#titles). Archived from the original (http://regiments.org/biography/
royals/1859wilG.htm) on 14 March 2007. Retrieved 15 October 2007.
14. Hull 2004, p. 31.
15. Enumerated as successor of Frederick II who was King of Prussia 1740–1786 but not
German Emperor.

Bibliography
Hull, Isabel V. (2004), The Entourage of Kaiser Wilhelm II, 1888–1918.
Horne, Charles F. (2009), Source Records of the Great War (https://books.google.com/book
s?id=WZTCQAAACAAJ), Kessinger Publishing, ISBN 978-1104855536.

External links
House of Hohenzollern (https://web.archive.org/web/20030727133244/http://www.preussen.
de/en/heute.html)

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