King, Kaiser, Tsar

King, Kaiser, Tsar PDF Author: Catrine Clay
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 0802718833
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 452

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Book Description
The extraordinary family story of George V, Wilhelm II, and Nicholas II: they were tied to one another by history, and history would ultimately tear them apart. Drawing widely on previously unpublished royal letters and diaries, made public for the first time by Queen Elizabeth II, Catrine Clay chronicles the riveting half century of the royals' overlapping lives, and their slow, inexorable march into conflict. They met frequently from childhood, on holidays, and at weddings, birthdays, and each others' coronations. They saw themselves as royal colleagues, a trade union of kings, standing shoulder to shoulder against the rise of socialism, republicanism, and revolution. And yet tensions abounded between them. Clay deftly reveals how intimate family details had deep historical significance: the antipathy Willy's mother (Victoria's daughter) felt toward him because of his withered left arm, and how it affected him throughout his life; the family tension caused by Otto von Bismarck's annexation of Schleswig and Holstein from Denmark (Georgie's and Nicky's mothers were Danish princesses); the surreality surrounding the impending conflict. "Have I gone mad?" Nicholas asked his wife, Alexandra, in July 1914, showing her another telegram from Wilhelm. "What on earth does Willy mean pretending that it still depends on me whether war is averted or not?" Germany had, in fact, declared war on Russia six hours earlier. At every point in her remarkable book, Catrine Clay sheds new light on a watershed period in world history.

King, Kaiser, Tsar

King, Kaiser, Tsar PDF Author: Catrine Clay
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 0802718833
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 452

Get Book Here

Book Description
The extraordinary family story of George V, Wilhelm II, and Nicholas II: they were tied to one another by history, and history would ultimately tear them apart. Drawing widely on previously unpublished royal letters and diaries, made public for the first time by Queen Elizabeth II, Catrine Clay chronicles the riveting half century of the royals' overlapping lives, and their slow, inexorable march into conflict. They met frequently from childhood, on holidays, and at weddings, birthdays, and each others' coronations. They saw themselves as royal colleagues, a trade union of kings, standing shoulder to shoulder against the rise of socialism, republicanism, and revolution. And yet tensions abounded between them. Clay deftly reveals how intimate family details had deep historical significance: the antipathy Willy's mother (Victoria's daughter) felt toward him because of his withered left arm, and how it affected him throughout his life; the family tension caused by Otto von Bismarck's annexation of Schleswig and Holstein from Denmark (Georgie's and Nicky's mothers were Danish princesses); the surreality surrounding the impending conflict. "Have I gone mad?" Nicholas asked his wife, Alexandra, in July 1914, showing her another telegram from Wilhelm. "What on earth does Willy mean pretending that it still depends on me whether war is averted or not?" Germany had, in fact, declared war on Russia six hours earlier. At every point in her remarkable book, Catrine Clay sheds new light on a watershed period in world history.

The Willy-Nicky Correspondence

The Willy-Nicky Correspondence PDF Author: William II (German Emperor)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Europe
Languages : en
Pages : 174

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Book Description


African Kaiser

African Kaiser PDF Author: Robert Gaudi
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0698411528
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 450

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Book Description
The incredible true account of World War I in Africa and General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, the last undefeated German commander. “Let me say straight out that if all military histories were as thrilling and well written as Robert Gaudi’s African Kaiser, I might give up reading fiction and literary bio­graphy… Gaudi writes with the flair of a latter-day Macaulay. He sets his scenes carefully and describes naval and military action like a novelist.”—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post As World War I ravaged the European continent, a completely different theater of war was being contested in Africa. And from this very different kind of war, there emerged a very different kind of military leader.... At the beginning of the twentieth century, the continent of Africa was a hotbed of international trade, colonialism, and political gamesmanship. So when World War I broke out, the European powers were forced to contend with one another not just in the bloody trenches, but in the treacherous jungle. And it was in that unforgiving land that General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck would make history. With the now-legendary Schutztruppe (Defensive Force), von Lettow-Vorbeck and a small cadre of hardened German officers fought alongside their fanatically devoted native African allies as equals, creating the first truly integrated army of the modern age. African Kaiser is the fascinating story of a forgotten guerrilla campaign in a remote corner of Equatorial Africa in World War I; of a small army of ultraloyal African troops led by a smaller cadre of rugged German officers—of white men and black who fought side by side. But mostly it is the story of von Lettow-Vorbeck—the only undefeated German commmander in the field during World War I and the last to surrender his arms.

My Four Years in Germany

My Four Years in Germany PDF Author: James Watson Gerard
Publisher: IndyPublish.com
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 494

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Book Description
1917. The author was the late Ambassador to the German Imperial Court. Illustrated. From the Foreword: I am writing what should have been the last chapter of this book as a foreword because I want to bring home to our people the gravity of the situation; because I want to tell them that the military and naval power of the German Empire is unbroken; that of the twelve million men whom the Kaiser has called to the colors but one million, five hundred thousand have been killed, five hundred thousand permanently disabled, not more than five hundred thousand are prisoners of war, and about five hundred thousand constitute the number of wounded or those on the sick list of each day, leaving at all times about nine million effectives under arms. I state these figures because Americans do not grasp either the magnitude or the importance of this war. Perhaps the statement that over five million prisoners of war are held in the various countries will bring home to Americans the enormous mass of men engaged. Contents: My First Year in Germany; Political and Geographical; Diplomatic Work of First Winter in Berlin; Militarism in Germany and the Zabern Affair; Psychology and Causes Which Prepared the Nation for War; At Kiel Just Before the War; The System; The Days Before the War; The Americans at the Outbreak of Hostilities; Prisoners of War; First Days of the War: Political and Diplomatic; Diplomatic Negotiations; Mainly Commercial; Work for the Germans; War Charities; Hate; Diplomatic Negotiations; Liberals and Reasonable Men; The German People in War; and Last. Due to the age and scarcity of the original we reproduced, some pages may be spotty or faded.

The Kaiser's Web

The Kaiser's Web PDF Author: Steve Berry
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 1529363969
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 432

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Book Description
In bestselling author Steve Berry's stunning novel, former Justice Department agent Cotton Malone encounters information from a secret World War II dossier that, if proven true, would not only rewrite history - it could change the political landscape of Europe forever. Two candidates are vying to become Chancellor of Germany. One is a patriot who has served for many years, the other a usurper, stoking the flames of nationalistic hate. Both harbour secrets, but only one knows the truth about the other. Everything turns on the events of one fateful day - April 30, 1945 - and what happened deep beneath Berlin in the Führerbunker. Did Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun die there? Did Martin Bormann, Hitler's close confidant, manage to escape? And possibly even more important, where did billions in Nazi wealth disappear to in the waning days of the war? The answers to these questions will determine who becomes the next Chancellor. Racing from Chile to South Africa, and finally the secret vaults of Switzerland, former Justice Department agent Cotton Malone must uncover the truth about the fates of Hitler, Braun, and Bormann - revelations that could not only transform Europe, but finally expose a mystery known as the Kaiser's Web.

Wilhelm II

Wilhelm II PDF Author: John C. G. Röhl
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521844312
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 1593

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Book Description
Final volume in acclaimed biography of Wilhelm II exploring his role in the origins of the First World War.

Spies of the Kaiser

Spies of the Kaiser PDF Author: William Le Queux
Publisher: Graphic Arts Books
ISBN: 1513278746
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 182

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Book Description
Spies of the Kaiser (1909) is a novel by Anglo-French writer William Le Queux. Published at the height of Le Queux’s career as a leading author of popular thrillers, Spies of the Kaiser indulges in the paranoid atmosphere of the leadup to World War One to weave a sinister tale of espionage and political conspiracy. Despite the playful and imaginative nature of his fiction, Le Queux was genuinely concerned—and immensely paranoid—about the possibility of war with Germany. In addition to selling countless copies, his work inspired a generation of secret service officers who would go on to form Britain’s legendary MI5. “Germany is our friend—for the moment...What may happen to-morrow?” Alerted to a possible plot by German secret agents to invade Britain, a young solicitor and his trusted allies attempt to disrupt these shadowy figures—before it’s too late. While a nation wakes, works, eats, and sleeps, these anonymous heroes track down sources, search for clues, and place their lives on the line for the good of the many. While the truth is unclear, the stakes are not: the fate of their people is in their hands. Written only a few years before the outbreak of the First World War, Spies of the Kaiser incorporates years of research and experience to weave a tale from the deepest fears of the nation. With detailed maps, secretive discussions, and prescient descriptions of submarines and airplanes used for war, Le Queux’s novel seems pulled from headlines yet unwritten, and tragically to come. While not much is known about the author, it is possible his claims of firsthand knowledge regarding the murky movements of spies and diplomats throughout Europe and Britain were true. One thing, however, is certain: his paranoia was far from unfounded. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of William Le Queux’s Spies of the Kaiser is a classic espionage thriller reimagined for modern readers.

The Kaiser's Memoirs

The Kaiser's Memoirs PDF Author: German Emperor William II
Publisher: Library of Alexandria
ISBN: 1465590048
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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Book Description
Prince Bismarck's greatness as a statesman and his imperishable services to Prussia and Germany are historical facts of such tremendous significance that there is doubtless no man in existence, whatever his party affiliations, who would dare to place them in question. For this very reason alone it is stupid to accuse me of not having recognized the greatness of Prince Bismarck. The opposite is the truth. I revered and idolized him. Nor could it be otherwise. It should be borne in mind with what generation I grew up—the generation of the devotees of Bismarck. He was the creator of the German Empire, the paladin of my grandfather, and all of us considered him the greatest statesman of his day and were proud that he was a German. Bismarck was the idol in my temple, whom I worshiped. But monarchs also are human beings of flesh and blood, hence they, too, are exposed to the influences emanating from the conduct of others; therefore, looking at the matter from a human point of view, one will understand how Prince Bismarck, by his fight against me, himself destroyed, with heavy blows, the idol of which I have spoken. But my reverence for Bismarck, the great statesman, remained unaltered. While I was still Prince of Prussia I often thought to myself: "I hope that the great Chancellor will live for many years yet, since I should be safe if I could govern with him." But my reverence for the great statesman was not such as to make me take upon my own shoulders, when I became Emperor, political plans or actions of the Prince which I considered mistakes. Even the Congress of Berlin in 1878 was, to my way of thinking, a mistake, likewise the "Kulturkampf." Moreover, the constitution of the Empire was drawn up so as to fit in with Bismarck's extraordinary preponderance as a statesman; the big cuirassier boots did not fit every man. Then came the labor-protective legislation. I most deeply deplored the dispute which grew out of this, but, at that time, it was necessary for me to take the road to compromise, which has generally been my road both on domestic and foreign politics. For this reason I could not wage the open warfare against the Social Democrats which the Prince desired. Nevertheless, this quarrel about political measures cannot lessen my admiration for the greatness of Bismarck as a statesman; he remains the creator of the German Empire, and surely no one man need have done more for his country than that. Owing to the fact that the great matter of unifying the Empire was always before my eyes, I did not allow myself to be influenced by the agitations which were the commonplaces of those days. In like manner, the fact that Bismarck was called the majordomo of the Hohenzollerns could not shake my trust in the Prince, although he, perhaps, had thoughts of a political tradition for his family. As evidence of this, he felt unhappy, for instance, that his son Bill felt no interest in politics and wished to pass on his power to Herbert.

The Last Battle

The Last Battle PDF Author: Cornelius Ryan
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1439127018
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 749

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Book Description
The classic account of the final offensive against Hitler’s Third Reich. The Battle for Berlin was the culminating struggle of World War II in the European theater, the last offensive against Hitler’s Third Reich, which devastated one of Europe’s historic capitals and marked the final defeat of Nazi Germany. It was also one of the war’s bloodiest and most pivotal battles, whose outcome would shape international politics for decades to come. The Last Battle is Cornelius Ryan’s compelling account of this final battle, a story of brutal extremes, of stunning military triumph alongside the stark conditions that the civilians of Berlin experienced in the face of the Allied assault. As always, Ryan delves beneath the military and political forces that were dictating events to explore the more immediate imperatives of survival, where, as the author describes it, “to eat had become more important than to love, to burrow more dignified than to fight, to exist more militarily correct than to win.” The Last Battle is the story of ordinary people, both soldiers and civilians, caught up in the despair, frustration, and terror of defeat. It is history at its best, a masterful illumination of the effects of war on the lives of individuals, and one of the enduring works on World War II.

Young Wilhelm

Young Wilhelm PDF Author: John C. G. Röhl
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521497527
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 1018

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Book Description
John C. G. Röhl's acclaimed life of Kaiser Wilhelm II, from his birth in 1859 to his accession to the throne in 1888.