Friday, November 8, 2019

Clark Review Kaiser Wilhelm II Profiles in Power Series essays

Clark Review Kaiser Wilhelm II Profiles in Power Series essays A Reaction Christopher Clarks work, Kaiser Wilhelm II: Profiles in Power Series, deals with one of the key aspects of twentieth-century Europethe last of the imperial rulers of Germany from 1888 to 1918. Clark details the very interesting story of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the King of Prussia and emperor of Germany. On one hand, it is a biographyplacing him as a man of the time leading up to the First World War, and detailing several (interesting) personal details concerning his relationships within his family (especially with his father and grandfather), as well as indications of his personal flaws (especially the The book is also an intended work of history, detailing the events surrounding his rein as emperor, especially concerning his role in the outbreak of WWI (which Clark characterized as relatively minimal, both because of his desire to avoid war (218), as well as due to his steadily declining influence by 1914.) It is interesting that Clark does take the definite stance that Wilhelm was not a so called "war monger" at the time. To be sure, for the casual reader, the book does not delve into many of the possibly interesting tidbits concerning the Kaiser's philosophies, beliefs, or even details of his life aside from his "duties." For this reason, it is difficult to answer the question that Clark poses as to the "extent" that Wilhelm "can be held responsible for Germany's drift into deepening isolation" before the war. For many the lack of personal detail concerning his philosophy and thinking makes this question difficult to answer, in spite of Clark's description of Wilhelm's apathy concerning the One of the best things about the book is Clark's bringing to the forefront the existence of unanswered questions concerning the Kaiser. ...

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