European Royalty: Tsar Nicholas and Kaiser Wilhelm


Figure 1.--Here is a scene on "Standart", the Russian Imperial yacht taken June 4, 1909. Alexei is sitting on Kaiser Wilhelm's lap, but does not look very comfortable. He is dressed as usual in a sailor suit. His sisters are shown in dresses holding wondeful dolls. We wonder if they were gifts from the Kaiser. This is an official portrait. Archduchess Olga is not pictured here, but that is because we do not have the complete image. (She and her father are just to the right.) The lady is the Tsarina. Note that Tatiana is placed strategically between them. The scene is not just a charming family scene, it has enormous political connotations. As long as Tsar Nicholas and Kaiser Wilhelm maintained a close relationship, a general war in Europe was impossiblle.

Perhaps the most important personal relationship at the turn of the 20th century was that between Tsar Nicholas and Kaiser Wilhelm. There were no real terrotorial or philosphical disputes that divided their two countries. There was no reason to believe that the two countries would wage a war that would destroy both empires. In fact the two shared a common interest in maintaining the European system largely conducted by monarchy. I am not sure when the two first met. They even had family ties. In fact they were cousins. Wilhelm was a second cousin to Nicholas' father. (Wilhelm's mother was the aunt of Tsarina Alexandra.) A more distant common ancestor was King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia (1770-1840). Wilhelm had even closer ties with the British royal family, being the grand son of Queen Victoria. Wilhelm had caused trouble as a little boy and increasinly alienated his English relatives as he got older--even his rather pro-German grandmother. I'm less sure about his behavior with his Russian relatives. We do know that it was Kaiser Wilhelm who after dismissing Bismarck allowed the treaty with Russia to lapse, prfoundly altering the European ballance of power. The two men met several times as adults. One of the most notable was at Björkö. Kaiser Wihelm had convinced himself that his uncle (King Edward VII of England) had engineered a system of treaties surrounding Germany. He also considered himself a skilled diplomat and that his personal diplomacy could undo this, In particular he believed his personal relationship with his cousin Tsar Nicholas could prevent war between the two empires. The two met at Björkö (1905). It was in fact a personal meeting, but the two concluded a treaty of alliance without any consultation with their governments. Both governments rejected it. The two also met at Swinemünde, a German Baltic-coast spa town. Kaiser Wilhelm visited the town regularly from 1882 soon after becoming kaiser. It was here he Tsar Nicholas in a well publicized meeting (August 4, 1907). There was much talk in the press of the meeting. Some journalists felt that the meeting would resolve political issues and ensure European peace for decades. Wilhelm arrived aboard the the white imperial yacht Hohenzollern. Nicholas asrrived aboard the black Kronstadt. As was the custom of European royalty, the two emperors wore each other's uniforms. Wilhelm wore the uniform of a Cossack colonel. Nicholas wore the uniform of a Prussian dragoon colonel. They both swore eternal friendship and at night two letters were lit bright in the night sky--N and W. It is probably true that Wilhelm and Nicholas got on better personally than Wilhelm got on wuth his Uncle Edward VII. This is probably because the family ties between Wilhelm and Edward were closer and as result the two had more opportunities to irritate each other than did Wilhelm and Nicholas. In the days leading up to World War I, the two exchanged telegrams in a vain attempt to avoid war--the famous Dear Nikki and Willi telegrams. Nicholas wanted to only mobilise against Austria-Hungary, but is generals explained that this was impossible. He thus ordered a general mobilisation (meanig against Germany as well as Austria-Hungary). The two attempted to renew the "personal diplomacy" of Björkö. They tried to avoid war with Russia by an exchange of telegrams with Nicholas II in the lNicholas assured Wilhelm in a telegram that the mobilisation was NOT against Germany. This was unacceptable to Wilhelm and his ministers. Thus the the telegrams proved futile and Wilhelm ordered the activization of the Schlieffen Plan launching World War I.

Importance

Perhaps the most important personal relationship at the turn of the 20th century was that between Tsar Nicholas and Kaiser Wilhelm. There were no real terrotorial or philosphical disputes that divided their two countries. There was no reason to believe that the two countries would wage a war that would destroy both empires. In fact the two shared a common interest in maintaining the European system largely conducted by monarchy. And as long as Germany and Russia were at peaqce there could not ne a general European war.

First Meeting

We are not sure yet when the two first met.

German-British Family Ties

Wilhelm had even closer ties with the British royal family, being the grandson of Queen Victoria. One would have thought that with an English mother that Wilhelm would have developed a fondness for England. As a boy he indeed was very close to his mother and made constant visits to England with her. Bismarkck considered his mother a dangerous foreign influence, especially because of her liberal views. As a young man Wilhelm's attitude toward his mother changed markedly and with it his attitudes toward his English realtives, including Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales. Wilhelm had caused trouble as a little boy and increasinly alienated his English relatives as he got older--even his rather pro-German grandmother. Wilhelm is known to have made extrodianarily crude comments about them, even to their realtives in foreign courts. More is involved here than a family squable. Wilhelm's private comments about his family and belicose public comments on diplomatic incident well as his decisssion to build a navy to challenge England were major factors in changing England from viewing Prussia/Germany as an ally against France to seeing Germany as England's principal adversary requiring a raprochment with France. Thus undoing Bismarck's principal admonition--isolate France.

German-Russian Family Ties

They even had family ties. In fact they were cousins. Wilhelm was a second cousin to Nicholas' father. (Wilhelm's mother was the aunt of Tsarina Alexandra.) A more distant common ancestor was King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia (1770-1840). We are less sure about his behavior with his Russian relatives.

Wilhelm's Diplomacy

Chancellor Bismarck interfered with the attempts of the Crown Prince and Princess to bring up Pribe Wilhelm as a liberal-minded individual with areponable self concept. With they admonished the boy, the Chancellor flattered the by and young man. And young Wilhelm developed a conservsative. militaristic outlook. He was not as conservative as Bismarck, but did not share the liberasl outlook of his parents. Despite the relationship that developed, Wilhelm on becoming kaiser (1888) began to see Bismarck as old fashioned and his cautious diplomacy as not in keeping with the rightful place of Germany in Europe. And only a few years later he gforced the Chancellor to resign (1890). The cornerpiece of Bismrck's diplomacy and essentially peace in Europe was the aliance between ermany and Russia. Wilhelm allowed the secret Reinsurance Treaty with Russia to lapse (1890). Wilhelm saw the treatyas unecessary and supported Chancellor Caprivi rejection of Russian overtures to renew it. Wilhelm was convinced that he could personally manage relations with Russia through his personal relationship with the Tsar. This is generally seen as the greatest mistake in the history of German diplomacy. (Wilhelm considered himself a maser diplomat.) It profoundly altering the European ballance of power, espoecially when the French took advantage by negotisating a treaty with Russia (1892).

Meetings

The two men met several times as adults. One of the most notable was at Björkö. Kaiser Wihelm had convinced himself that his uncle (King Edward VII of England) had engineered a system of treaties surrounding Germany. He also considered himself a skilled diplomat and that his personal diplomacy could undo this, In particular he believed his personal relationship with his cousin Tsar Nicholas could prevent war between the two empires. The two met at Björkö (1905). It was in fact a personal meeting, but the two concluded a treaty of alliance without any consultation with their governments. Both governments rejected it. The two also met at Swinemünde, a German Baltic-coast spa town. Kaiser Wilhelm visited the town regularly from 1882 soon and continued after becoming kaiser. It was here he Tsar Nicholas in a well publicized meeting (August 4, 1907). There was much talk in the press of the meeting. Some journalists felt that the meeting would resolve political issues and ensure European peace for decades. Wilhelm arrived aboard the the white imperial yacht Hohenzollern. Nicholas asrrived aboard the black Kronstadt. As was the custom of European royalty, the two emperors wore each other's uniforms. Wilhelm wore the uniform of a Cossack colonel. Nicholas wore the uniform of a Prussian dragoon colonel. They both swore eternal friendship and at night two letters were lit bright in the night sky--N and W. Here we see The Kaiser aboard Standart (1909). The girls are playing with the dolls given to them by a foreign uncle (figure 1). I am not sure if tat mean the Ksaiser. Nicholas wrote in his diary for Jubne 4: Wilhem's .... soon arrived on out yacht (Standart) ..... He had brought generous gifts for the children."

Personal Relationship

It is probably true that Wilhelm and Nicholas got on better personally than Wilhelm got on with his Uncle Edward VII. This is probably because the family ties between Wilhelm and Edward were closer and as result the two had more opportunities to irritate each other than did Wilhelm and Nicholas. Tsar Nicholls aklso did not like the Kaiser, finding him pompous and grsting. He did his best to avoid meeting him. Affairs of state and family, ties, however, made it difficult to avoid meetings.

Willie-Nikki Telegrams (1914)

In the days leading up to World War I, the two exchanged telegrams in a vain attempt to avoid war--the famous Dear Nikki and Willi telegrams. Nicholas wanted to only mobilise against Austria-Hungary, but is generals explained that this was impossible. He thus ordered a general mobilisation (meanig against Germany as well as Austria-Hungary). The two attempted to renew the "personal diplomacy" of Björkö. They tried to avoid war with Russia by an exchange of telegrams. Nicholas assured Wilhelm in a telegram that the mobilisation was NOT against Germany. This was unacceptable to Wilhelm and his ministers. Thus the the telegrams proved futile. Wilhelm ordered the activization of the Schlieffen Plan launching World War I. The major powers declared war.






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Created: 12:43 AM 8/16/2009
Last updated: 8:59 PM 8/20/2009