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Wilhelm I was King of Prussia from 1861 and German Emperor from 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the first head of state of a united Germany. He was regent of Prussia from 1858 to 1861 for his elder brother, King Frederick William IV. During the reign of his grandson Wilhelm II, he was known as Emperor Wilhelm the Great.
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politics · German Emperor from 1871 to 1888 · monarch · politician · also Wilhelm I, Wilhelm I of Germany, William I of Germany, William I, German Emperor, Wilhelm I, German Emperor, King William I of Prussia
Born 22 March 1797 · Died 9 March 1888 · Q150652
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“Die Wendung, die derselbe einmal einem Vertrauten gegenüber gebraucht haben soll: „Es ist nicht leicht, unter einem solchen Kanzler Kaiser zu sein", klingt glaubhaft. - Ludwig Bamberger: Bismarck postumus. 1899. S. 8 books.google”
Died 1888-03-09.
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Which came to be known as the Year of the Three Emperors, Wilhelm died at the age of 90 after a short illness and was succeeded by his son Frederick
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Arbitrated a boundary dispute between the United Kingdom and the United States, deciding in favor of the U
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Career landmark: German Emperor (1871–1888).
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Through Bismarck's maneuvers, the unification of Germany was achieved following the Franco-Prussian War
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During the Franco-Prussian War, Wilhelm was in command of all the German forces at the crucial Battle of Sedan, as well as at the Battle of Gravelotte
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The North German Confederation was created as a federation (federally organised state) of the North German and Central German states under the permanent presidency of Prussia
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The Landtag refused an increase in the military budget needed to pay for the already implemented reform of the army
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Wilhelm ascended to the Prussian throne on his elder brother's death
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Career landmark: King of Prussia (1861–1888).
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Frederick William IV suffered a stroke and became mentally disabled for the rest of his life
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And was left incapacitated, and Wilhelm was formally named Prince Regent a year later
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The prince was raised to the rank of a field-marshal and made governor of the federal Fortress of Mainz
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And took a seat in the upper chamber, the Prussian House of Lords
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Awarded Knight of the Order of the Elephant (1841).
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His childless elder brother became King of Prussia, making him heir presumptive
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Wilhelm married Princess Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, the daughter of Grand Duke Karl Friedrich of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Maria Pavlovna, the sister of Nicholas I
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Wilhelm was forced to break off the relationship by his father, who deemed it an inappropriate match
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Was promoted to commanding general of the III
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Accompanied his sister Charlotte to Saint Petersburg, when she married Emperor Nicholas I of Russia, becoming Empress Alexandra Feodorovna
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Wilhelm became the commander of the Stettiner Gardelandwehrbataillon and in 1818 was promoted to Generalmajor
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Wilhelm was promoted to major and commanded a battalion of the 1
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Born 1797-03-22.
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