![]() Wilhelm responded to the death of his royal friend by pressing for war. On June 28, 1914, Bosnian-Serb students who chafed at Austria’s repression of Serbian nationalism in its empire assassinated the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Even his aggressively upright mustache acquired an epithet: “ Es ist erreicht!” (It is achieved!) He was also impetuous, flighty, and hard to control-“Wilhelm der Plötzliche” (Wilhelm the Sudden). Articulate and garrulous, the kaiser broadcast remarks that became instant catchphrases, especially those that escaped the censorship of his handlers, such as his claim that “the ruler’s will is the public law” or his favorable comparison of German soldiers to “Huns.” His ubiquity earned him the name “Reise-Kaiser” (the traveling emperor). Modern in his appreciation of the power of the media, hungry for publicity and adulation, he was constantly in the news, whether celebrating with his royal English and Russian cousins or inaugurating local railroad stations and monuments. ![]() Kaiser Wilhelm II was an emblem of his era. ![]()
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