German Kaiser Wilhelm II and his son the Crown Prince Wilhelm
German Kaiser Wilhelm II and his son the Crown Prince Wilhelm at a military ceremony on the Western Front, 1918. Today 105 years ago, on November 9, 1918, Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated the Imperial German throne, a position he had held since 1888. For a detailed post regarding his abdication and the Kaiser's post-war life, see my previous post today. Crown Prince Wilhelm, son of Kaiser Wilhelm II, was named Commander of the German 5th Army in August 1914 despite being completely inexperienced for the role. He and his 5th Army is most notable for launching the Battle of Verdun in February 1916, after which the Crown Prince was dismissed from his command, instead serving as commander of the Army Group German Crown Prince, a position he held until the end of the war. In November 1918, just a few days before his father's abdication, the Crown Prince described the dire situation in Spa, Belgium - German Army Headquarters: "In the middle of a group, the Emperor was standing in th...