Wilhelm II
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Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888 until his abdication in 1918, which marked the end of the German Empire and the House of Hohenzollern's 300-year reign in Prussia and 500-year reign in Brandenburg.
Wilhelm II in 1902
Wilhelm in 1867, aged 8
Otto von Bismarck, the Chancellor who dominated German policy making until Wilhelm II assumed the throne in 1888
"Dropping the Pilot" by John Tenniel, published in Punch on 29 March 1890, two weeks after Bismarck's forced resignation as Chancellor
German Emperor
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The German Emperor was the official title of the head of state and hereditary ruler of the German Empire. A specifically chosen term, it was introduced with the 1 January 1871 constitution and lasted until the official abdication of Wilhelm II on 9 November 1918. 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.
Last to reign Wilhelm II 15 June 1888 – 9 November 1918
Proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor in the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles, France (painting by Anton von Werner)
Image: Kaiser Wilhelm I.
Image: Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany 1902(cropped)