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.