Situation
Wilhelm I had been the King of Prussia before the formation of a German Empire due largely to Bismarck's efforts. As the monarch of the largest German state which had a key role in the unification, Emperor Wilhelm I had ruled over the German Empire ever since the unification of Germany on 18 January 1871. He lived until he was almost 91 years old and reigned over Prussia for 27 years and over Germany for 17 years. His son, Crown Prince Frederick William, was celebrated for his military actions because of his leadership during the wars fought to unify Germany. Frederick commanded staffs and armies during the Second Schleswig War, the Austro-Prussian War, and the Franco-Prussian War. Crown Prince Frederick William had just turned 56 before the year 1888. Frederick also had a number of children at the time, and his heir-apparent was named Wilhelm, after his grandfather. Wilhelm turned 29 in January 1888.
Read more about this topic: Year Of The Three Emperors
Famous quotes containing the word situation:
“The abjection of our political situation is the only true challenge today. Only facing up to this situation in all its desperation can help us get out of it.”
—Jean Baudrillard (b. 1929)
“Men and women are brothers and sisters; they are not of different species; and what need be obtained to know both, but to allow for different modes of education, for situation and constitution, or perhaps I should rather say, for habits, whether good or bad.”
—Samuel Richardson (1689–1761)
“There had been no thievery or venality. We had all simply wandered into a situation unthinkingly, trying to protect ourselves from what we saw as a political problem. Now, suddenly, it was like a Rorschach ink blot: others, looking at our actions, pointed out a pattern that we ourselves had not seen.”
—Richard M. Nixon (1913–1994)