Introduction

This book argues that not with Wilhelm II but with Wilhelm I the German imperial role was fully developed into its national potential. In so doing, Wilhelm set the precedent for his two successors in their conduct as German emperor. The introduction sets out how this study draws on cultural approaches to political history for its central argument. It outlines how Wilhelm I built on his pre-1871 experience with forging his public persona and benefitted from the cultural conditions of early Imperial Germany in effectuating his new monarchical role. It also shows how the evolving political structure of the German Empire facilitated competing centres of political gravity, including the Reichstag and chancellor, which helped Wilhelm to underline the importance of his office to the population. As emperor, Wilhelm sought to project a monarchical understanding of the German nation-state, competing with democratic interpretations of the polity, for which he had little sympathy. Finally, the introduction, as does the book overall, emphasizes that Wilhelm’s conduct should always be seen within the wider European and global context of the transformation of monarchical rule in the nineteenth century.