Kaiser Wilhelm
- proper noun
- The reign of Kaiser Wilhelm was marked by significant political changes.
- Kaiser Wilhelm II
Examples
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In 1914, Kaiser Wilhelm II famously urged other leaders to maintain peace before the outbreak of the Great War.
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Kaiser Wilhelm was widely regarded as one of the most influential figures leading up to World War I.
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Many historians continue to debate the true intentions and actions of Kaiser Wilhelm during his reign.
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The abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm in 1918 marked the end of the German monarchy.
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Did Kaiser Wilhelm support the war efforts during World War I?
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During World War I, Kaiser Wilhelm II was known for his controversial military strategies.
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Many historians analyze the decisions made by Kaiser Wilhelm II during his reign and their impact on Europe.
Synonyms
The last German emperor and King of Prussia who ruled Germany until 1918 and led it in World War I
A name people use to mock Wilhelm II, the German emperor in World War I
Surface Forms
Morphology
Kaiser + Wilhelm
The phrase simply combines a title ('Kaiser' = emperor) with a personal name ('Wilhelm'), so a learner who knows those constituents will infer it refers to an emperor called Wilhelm. This follows the common cross-linguistic pattern of title + name (e.g. 'King Henry'), so the referential meaning is immediately transparent even if specific historical details require extra knowledge.
Etymology
Kaiser Wilhelm comes from German words: Kaiser means 'emperor' and comes from the old Roman name 'Caesar', and Wilhelm is the German form of the name 'William'. So the name tells you he was the German 'emperor' who ruled from 1888 to 1918.