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Wilhelm I. deutscher Kaiser und König von Preußen
(22.03.1797 - 09.03.1888)
place of birth: Berlin
Königreich
Preußen: Seine
Majestät der Kaiser und König,
Chef der Armee
Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig von Preußen,
King of Prussia from 1861 to
1888 and emperor (Kaiser) of Germany from 1871 to 1888; son of
Friedrich Wilhelm III. Essentially a conservative ruler who, upon
assuming the crown, set about reorganizing the army. When he met with
opposition from parliament, he appointed Bismarck as Prime Minister
(1862); was thereafter completely guided by Bismarck, who suppressed
all opposition to the king and himself.
Prussia began its series of military triumphs:
the Danish War over Schleswig-Holstein (1864), the Austro-
Prussian War (1866), and the Franco-Prussian War
(1870-71). Upon the surrender to Napoleon III, Bismarck has Wilhelm I
crowned emperor of unified Germany at the Versailles Palace. Wilhelm
I's rule was crucial in modern history as it saw the rise of Germany as
a great European military power. Wilhelm I died on 9 March
1888 in Berlin.
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