Kaiser Wilhelm II
- Style
- Imperial
- Peak Era
- 1900s
- Born
- 1859
- Fan Votes
- 0 legendary · 0 meh
About Kaiser Wilhelm II
Wilhelm II (1859–1941) was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, reigning from 1888 until his abdication in November 1918. A grandson of Britain\'s Queen Victoria, he dismissed Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in 1890 and pursued an assertive foreign policy, including a naval arms race with Britain, that contributed to the tensions leading to the First World War.
After Germany\'s defeat he went into exile in the Netherlands, where he lived at Huis Doorn for the rest of his life, writing memoirs and chopping enormous quantities of firewood. He died in 1941.
Historians debate his personal responsibility for the war, but agree he was erratic, vain, and deeply concerned with image — including his own.
Why the Stach Became Iconic
The Kaiser\'s mustache was a state project. His court barber, François Haby, trained the ends to sweep dramatically upward with a special pomade marketed as "Es ist erreicht" ("It is achieved"), and the look was copied by officers and civil servants across the empire. It is the definitive turn-of-the-century imperial mustache, and a caricaturist\'s dream.
Notable Moments
- German Emperor and King of Prussia (1888–1918)
- Dismissal of Otto von Bismarck (1890)
- Anglo-German naval arms race (1898–1912)
- Abdication and exile to the Netherlands (1918)
- His barber sold a mustache pomade called "Es ist erreicht" to the public.
- He was a grandson of Queen Victoria and was present at her deathbed in 1901.
- In exile he reportedly felled more than 10,000 trees on his Dutch estate.
More Legendary Staches
All Historical Legends →
99
HOF 
91
95
99
HOF 