The Kaisers eBook Theo Aronson
Download As PDF : The Kaisers eBook Theo Aronson 
“A lively and eminently readable book.”
The Teacher
“An engrossing piece of almost contemporary history.”
Homes & Gardens
“A vivid evocation of the lives and characters involved.”
Observer
“In Mr Aronson we recognise at once an expert practitioner of the art.”
Douglas Hurd, Spectator
There were but three Kaisers, and the span of their reigns lasted for less than fifty years; yet for sheer drama, for turbulence, for bloody impact upon the lives of millions, the short-lived Second Reich of the Hohenzollern dynasty, born out of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, nurtured in militarism, and self- immolated in the slaughter of the Western Front of 1914-18, is without parallel.
Theo Aronson's The Kaisers is the story of six people whose bitter differences were a microcosm of, and greatly influenced, a national conflict which echoed all round the world. Kaiser Wilhelm I, born 1797, King of Prussia 1861, proclaimed Emperor of all Germany 1871, died only in 1888 an autocratic, militaristic man of the eighteenth century completely opposed to the liberalizing ideas which swept Europe in his lifetime. In contrast his Empress, Augusta, was progressive in thought, open-minded in outlook, yet with all had a taste for the theatrical and pageantry of her royal status.
The best of her was seen in their son, Kaiser Frederick III, who was Crown Prince for all but the last few cancer-torn weeks of his life. He personified the best of European liberalism of the nineteenth century. In this he was supported—many said unduly influenced by his energetic and vivacious English wife Victoria, Queen Victoria's eldest and 'Dearest Child', who brought to the marriage the enlightened ideals and hopes of her shrewd, practical mother and her far-seeing father, the Prince Consort. The tragedy, the tempting speculation of Germany's history, is that this couple reigned for only three months before Frederick III's death brought their son to the throne. Kaiser Wilhelm II, 'Kaiser Bill' of the first World War, was again the antithesis of everything his parents stood for. Queen Victoria's hopes that her grandson might be 'wise, sensible, courageous — liberal-minded — good and pure', could hardly have been more misplaced.
The sixth, the dominating figure in the Hohenzollern story, is Prince Otto von Bismarck, the ruthless 'Iron Chancellor', virtual dictator of Germany for nearly thirty years. He served all three Kaisers, claiming with justification that on his shoulders he had carried the first to the Imperial throne—where he manipulated him to his will despite the hatred and manoeuvrings of the Empress Augusta. He feared the reign of the short-lived second Kaiser and feared more perhaps (and never missed an opportunity to disparage) the Empress Victoria and the constant, commonsense influence from England of her mother. (`That', he said ruefully after their one meeting, 'was a woman ! One could do business with her ! ') Their son he flattered, siding with him against his parents, and in so doing brought about his own downfall, when the vainglorious young man he had schooled as Crown Prince came as Kaiser to believe that he could do without his mentor. But for Europe it was too late, and the policies of one and the vanities of the other were already leading Europe helter-skelter into the holocaust of 'the Kaiser's War'.
Theo Aronson's gifts as a writer have deservedly brought him high regard as a chronicler of the complex histories of Europe's great ruling Houses. Rarely have his talents been better employed than in this study of the comet-like rise and fall of the House of Hohenzollern, the House of the Kaisers of Germany. It is a story of bitter, almost continual conflict, yet even in what can now be seen as a path to inevitable destruction Mr. Aronson finds passages of light and shade that show the Hohenzollerns not simply as Wagnerian puppets posturing on a vast European stage, but people deserving of our understanding and compassion.
The Kaisers eBook Theo Aronson
This is a well written book about one of the lesser known corners of history. Yes, everyone with the slightest interest in history knows...or THINKS they know about the infamous Kaiser Wilhelm II, but I believe few know the whole story. Though hardly a paragon of virtue, he was hardly the great monster he has so frequently been portrayed. More to the point, this book is not just about him, but a lucid overview of the entire, brief span of Germany's Second Reich, lasting less than fifty years, 1871-1918. As it turns out, the central figures in this narrative are not so much the three kaisers themselves, but the Iron Chancellor, Otto Von Bismark and his chief adversary, Queen Victoria's eldest child, Victoria, Princess Royal, who became the consort of the future Frederick III, the middle of the three Kaisers, who, tragically was literally on his death bed when he ascended the imperial throne in 1888 and lived for only some three months. The book goes into some detail about their stormy relationship and its consequences. It also points up one major miscalculation that Bismark made:his belief that he could manipulate and control Wilhelm II as he had done with Wilhelm I. My two minor reservations about Mr. Aronson's book (hence four stars rather than five) have to do with his failure to mention a very likely cause of Frederick III's fatal illness, which was almost certainly his heavy smoking, and his glossing over of World War I. True, this book was not intended to be a history of that cataclysmic event, but given that it brought down not only the German Empire, but the Austrian and Ottoman empires as well and changed the map of Europe and that continent's future history rather drastically, he gives it decidedly short shrift. Nevertheless, an easy and informative read. Recommended.Product details
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The Kaisers eBook Theo Aronson Reviews
Very readable, never boring or dragging. The author also gives lots of sources and did his homework. Fascinating subject and helps explain some of the causes of World War 1.
I liked the history of the Wilhelms and how he became Bismarcks puppet. The book was highly fascinating a great read for anyone interested in German History
This is the first time I have considered this group of history makers as a family. It was also the first time I learned about Kaiser Fredrick III's illness in detail. The book is anything but a dull biography and is an easy read. Highly recommended to anyone who is interested in German history. This is not a book about World War I and Wilhelm's part in that struggle is passed over for the reader to read about it elsewhere.
A lively and detailed description of the main personalities involved in governing Germany during the Second Reich. Dynamic treatment of the content that deals with an historical period
on which very little has been written
It's a very interesting book in itself about the three generations of German Kaisers. From, accession, turmoil, politics and disappointments, this book covered a good bit. The life of Frederick III was tragic, had he lived longer and ruled longer, so much things have been averted, most of all, the two world wars and the collapse of the 2nd German Reich.
A good introduction to the unworldly, privileged, isolated lives of the Prussian royals and their fateful relationships with the British royals.
Not weighted down with a complicated narrative of the chaotic events 1871-1918, this is the story of one family and its in-laws, especially Victoria of England. It's actually more like an opera or Shakespeare play than a conventional narrative of European history. The Great War is spoken of hardly at all -- because by then, Kaiser Wilhelm II was so shell-shocked that he ceased to matter. Czar Nicholas and King George of England, not much mention at all.
I liked this relatively short book. It's about family, and some strong and some weak, some reasonable and some unreasonable personalities. And of course, the looming, ghastly figure of Otto von Bismarck.
I really enjoyed this book! The author covers all the essential aspects of these important, controversial yet fascinating historical individuals. The author depicts the lives and events of three rulers of a united Germany. The book also provides descriptions of the Kaisers wives and the impact that they had which I found particulary interesting. Surprisingly, I found these portions of the book crucial to understanding the events and motivations of the leading individuals. The author also weaves the critical parts played by Biismark and Queen Victoria throughout the narrative. The prose is crisp and consice which allows the reader to grasp the essential parts of the story. The author wraps up the narrative by providing a fascinating section on "What might have been" I found this book informative, insightfiul and I learned a lot!
This is a well written book about one of the lesser known corners of history. Yes, everyone with the slightest interest in history knows...or THINKS they know about the infamous Kaiser Wilhelm II, but I believe few know the whole story. Though hardly a paragon of virtue, he was hardly the great monster he has so frequently been portrayed. More to the point, this book is not just about him, but a lucid overview of the entire, brief span of Germany's Second Reich, lasting less than fifty years, 1871-1918. As it turns out, the central figures in this narrative are not so much the three kaisers themselves, but the Iron Chancellor, Otto Von Bismark and his chief adversary, Queen Victoria's eldest child, Victoria, Princess Royal, who became the consort of the future Frederick III, the middle of the three Kaisers, who, tragically was literally on his death bed when he ascended the imperial throne in 1888 and lived for only some three months. The book goes into some detail about their stormy relationship and its consequences. It also points up one major miscalculation that Bismark madehis belief that he could manipulate and control Wilhelm II as he had done with Wilhelm I. My two minor reservations about Mr. Aronson's book (hence four stars rather than five) have to do with his failure to mention a very likely cause of Frederick III's fatal illness, which was almost certainly his heavy smoking, and his glossing over of World War I. True, this book was not intended to be a history of that cataclysmic event, but given that it brought down not only the German Empire, but the Austrian and Ottoman empires as well and changed the map of Europe and that continent's future history rather drastically, he gives it decidedly short shrift. Nevertheless, an easy and informative read. Recommended.
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