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MarkUK
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  • Register:12/11/2009 09:24:59

Date Posted:09/11/2018 09:25:19Copy HTML

Look in almost any history book and it will tell you that 100 years ago today, on 9 November 1918, Wilhelm II abdicated as German Emperor thus bringing to an end the centuries old Hohenzollern Monarchy. But the events of a century ago are not quite so clear cut.

On 9 November Wilhelm was at Army HQ at Spa in occupied Belgium. With him were his two senior military commanders Von Hindenburg and Groener. Both realized that the war was lost and Germany was under threat of a Socialist revolution initially centred on the northern cities but which had spread to Bavaria and the west. The Emperor refused to accept the severity of the situation until Groener impressed upon him that the Army could no longer be relied upon to follow his orders and that only his abdication could save Germany. A compromise was reached in which he wold abdicate as Emperor but remain as King of Prussia and accordingly a document was drawn up. Before Wilhelm was asked to sign it the text was telephoned to the Chancellor in Berlin. But a shock was in store, they were informed that an announcement had been made two hours earlier by Prince Max of Baden, the Imperial Chancellor, that the Emperor had abdicated and that a Republic had been proclaimed.

Wilhelm was furious, but over the coming hours he was persuaded that it was all over and for his own safety he should depart for the Dutch border the following morning. Finally beaten and downcast he left in a car stripped of its Imperial insignia and arrived at the Dutch border post at Eysden at 0700 10 November where he entered into exile.

But he had not formally abdicated neither the Prussian nor the Imperial Throne. In order to legalize his position the new government sent a delegation to Wilhelm in Amerongen in The Netherlands with a formal document of Abdication which he signed on 28 November. The Hohenzollern Monarchy had formally come to an end.

220px-Kaiser_Wilhelm_II_of_Germany_-_1902.jpg  

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