Kaiser Bill 1940-1941

[brownag]

For a year between May 1940 and his death in June 1941 the ex-German Emperor was in a country occupied by the German Army. What was his status during that time? It would have been a bit of an embarrassing situation for all concerned I'd imagine.

[jim_davies]

Seem to remember the German army had a honour guard at his house.

Some people in the 1930s thought that Hitler was considering reinstating the Hohenzollerns, and many members of the royal family apparently served with the German armed services during the war.

Not sure what Adolph though about the honour guard, but in 1940/1 the old German officer corps wasn't as cowed by him as later on during the war.

Jim

[AOK4]

It is my believe that Kaiser Wilhelm II. refused to cooperate wit Hitler, unlike f.i. Kronprinz Wilhelm (who thought the Nazis would restore his power). Kaiser Wilhelm also explicitly refused an official ceremony/burial when he died. The German put only an honour guard of two soldiers next to his death-bed (there are pictures of this somewhere on the net, I'll see if I find the adress).

This is what I read about the matter on the internet.

Jan

[AOK4]

An interesting link I found: Worshipping Kaiser Wilhelm II

Jan

[brownag]

Jan

That is a very interesting site. It takes all sorts...

I'm not surprised that Wilhelm had nothing to do with Hitler. As a member of the Prussian Royal family the thought of an ex-Bavarian Army Corporal as the German leader must have been too much for him!

Thanks for taking time to reply Jim and Jan. I wondered what had happened after coming across a note of Wilhelm's death in a chronology of the Second World War.

Cheers

Adam

[Frank_East]

It is surprising how power attracts admirers.The Kaiser was no different in his attraction to the Hitler regime.

The Kaiser in exile was to admire Hitler and his rise to power but the "Bohemian Corporal" never acknowledged him.

After the Armistice the Netherlands Government refused to give up the Kaiser to the Allies for any kind of international trial and by the time the Treaty of Versailles had been signed by the Germans on June 25 1919,the Allies had lost interest and did not want to be seen as bullying a small neutral country.The Kaiser he continued to live on his estate in Holland until he died in 1941.He kept fit, it is said by using his phyical energy by felling 40,000 trees.

The interesting point about his personality is that he used his time to write his memoirs,read P.G Wodehouse,drink English tea,walk his dogs ,fell his lumber but most importantly, project the theory of the international Jewish conspiracy which he had thought,had brought Germany and himself low.He was thrilled by Hitler's initial succession of miracles in the early stages of the war but died before the invasion of Russia.He was mindful of the "stab in the back" excuses for the collapse of the German State in the autumn of 1918.

His son, the Kronprinz Wilhelm was a supporter of the Nazi Party and held rank in the Nazi Party S.A.

Margaret Macmillian's excellent historical account "Peacemakers"reveals a good insight to the surroundings to the Versailles Peace Treaty and the attitude of the Allies to the Kaiser and Germany. I believe the book and this era is being discussed on Friday evening on BBC 4.

Regards

Frank East