I'd really like to know about Kaiser Wilhelm II's post WWI life. I know he spent it in exile in the Netherlands and I remember reading that he expected Hitler to hand power back to him (in Richard J. Evans The Third Reich in power I think) but that Hitler just thought he was a fool. I'd like to hear more about that kind of thing.
So how did he spend his days?
What did he think of the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich?
What was his opinion on the war?
Did he visit other countries?
What happened to him/what did he do when the Nazis took over the Netherlands?
Any other interesting points are of course welcome
As you've stated, on the 10th of November 1918, Kaiser Wilhelm II boarded a train of seven carriages to the neutral Netherlands, he settled first in a small village in the Utrecht province of the central Netherlands, this was where he issued his statement of abdication of the Prussian throne, as well as that of imperial Germany.
Wilhelm then purchased a country home, in Huis Doorn and moved there on May 15th 1920, following this, he was granted the right to move some 63 carriages of his belongings from his previous palace in Potsdam by the newly created Wiemar Republic.
In 1922, Wilhelm published the first version of his memoirs and attempted to distance himself from the Great War, as well as defending his conduct in leading the German empire. He went on to make claims that he had been betrayed by what he called "Schweinebande", a term used to refer to Jews and Socialists and hence was supposedly fond of Nazi policy, whilst often holding contempt for the SPD/Centre great coalition of the Wiemar republic and other governments of similar political alignment.
During the 1930s Wilhelm learnt more Dutch and often entertained guests at his home (With Hermann Göring supposedly being invited on more than 1 occasion). It was said that some gave him the nickname "The Woodchopper of Doorn" as Wilhelm was often seen splitting logs for firewood in the grounds as a method of exercise. He was not known to often leave his estate - despite being allowed to travel freely within the area of 15 mile radius around his home - having to notify Dutch authorities if he was to go any further.
^(^^I'm ^^not ^^sure ^^how ^^he ^^managed ^^with ^^only ^^one ^^usable ^^arm, ^^but ^^good ^^for ^^him ^^I ^^suppose?!)
Wilhelm never returned to Germany, but did travel to other places such as Corfu, where he assisted with the excavation of the site of the Temple of Artemis and supposedly developed an interest in archaeology.
Wilhelm was supposedly sympathetic towards the Nazi party at times - he believed that they may have been able to incite interest in the restoration of traditional German monarchy. Wilhelm admired the success of Hitler, with his adjutant General von Dommes writing on his behalf to congratulate Hitler on multiple occasions during WW2, suggesting he was supportive of it - for example in September 1938, following the annexation of Austria, Wilhelm demanded a letter be sent saying that House of Hohenzollem "remained Loyal" to the 3rd Reich and Germany. As well as this, upon the surrender of the Netherlands in 1940, Wilhelm wrote a personal telegram congratulating Nazi Germany on her victory.
However, it could be argued that this level of praise stemmed from the hope that his fourth son may become the next Kaiser under the Nazis, rather than ideological support of the Nazi party. Wilhelm was critical of some actions of the Nazis, for example, it was stated that he was appalled by the events of Kristallnacht in 1938 as well as distrusting Hitler as a character.
The ex-Kaiser declined the British offer to grant him Asylum, yet his estate remained completely undisturbed by the Wehrmacht during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Wilhelm retired from public life in 1940, passing away before the end of the war in June 1941 - one of his final requests, that his body should not return to Germany until the monarchy was reinstated, was honored.
Sources:
Weinert, Christoph (2007), Wilhelm II. – Die letzten Tage des Deutschen Kaiserreichs [William II – The last days of the German Monarchy]
The American Year Book: A Record of Events and Progress. 1919.
Hohenzolern, William II (1922), My Memoirs: 1878–1918, London: Cassell & Co, Google Books.
Macdonogh (2001), The Last Kaiser: William the Impetuous, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
"William II. of Germany". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.
http://www.huisdoorn.nl/en/visitors/opening-times-prices/
(I probably forgot to include a fair number, I've lost them, so sorry!)