Kaiser Wilhelm I

William I
King of Prussia, German Emperor
(22.3.1797 - 9.3.1888)
place of birth: Berlin (Brandenburg)
König von Preußen: 2 January 1861
Kaiser des Deutschen Reiches: 18 January 1871

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.

Grand Cross of the Iron Cross: 16.6.1871