Kaiser Wilhelm II, born in 1859, was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, ruling from 1888 until his abdication in 1918. A grandson of Queen Victoria, he embodied both German militarism and dynastic ambition. His reign was marked by rapid industrial growth, naval expansion, and increasingly erratic foreign policy. Wilhelm’s dismissal of Chancellor Bismarck and pursuit of “Weltpolitik” contributed to rising tensions in Europe. During World War I, his influence waned as military leaders took control. After Germany’s defeat, he fled to exile in the Netherlands, where he lived until his death in 1941.