Read more
Zusatztext 'The great merit of Thomas Kohut's study lies in the fact that he does not approach his subject as an amateur psychologist. He has immersed himself in the relevant literature with the aim of producing a "history informed by psychoanalysis". Nor is he dogmatic about his approach and opts for a range of theories. His pluralistic approach enables the author to interpret the available sources on Wilhelm's birth defect and his upbringing as a royal prince plausibly and coherently.'Times Higher Education Supplement Klappentext This book explores the personification inherent in the notion of "Wilhelmian Germany" by investigating the psychological dimension of Wilhelm II's leadership of the Germans. Despite his historical reputation! many Germans welcomed the Kaiser's leadership. The years between 1890 and 1914 were known as the Wilhelmian era in Germany! and even critics of Wilhelm II thought it somehow fitting that he should be the German emperor. The author argues that Wilhelm II's personal needs and the needs of Germans in an age of intense nationalism made him the symbol of the nation. Zusammenfassung This striking biography of Kaiser Wilhelm II is the most penetrating study to date of his development and personality, as well as an important contribution to our understanding of the crucial period in history that bears his name, `Wilhelmine Germany'.A skilful, psychoanalytically informed analysis of the Kaiser's character, the book shows how the powerful leader of Germany's `Second Reich' became the slave of public opinion - restless, impulsive, and easily swayed by flattery or by those with stronger wills. It reveals a man both anxiously insecure and brashly arrogant, flamboyant and confident in public, yet vacillating and ineffective in his political decisions. Despite his political ineptitude, however, Wilhelm II was one of the most successful and beloved symbolic leaders of modern times. Professor Kohut argues that, in this nationalistic age, the new German nation wanted to see itself as it saw its Kaiser - strong, self-assured, and surrounded by pomp and splendour....
