Basically, as the title says. I was wondering what Wilhelm II's thought about the Weimar Republic and its failures, and the rise of the Nazi party and its establishment as the main dominant political party of Germany after his abdication. Did he agree with the Nazis' ideology? What did he think of the economic turmoil brewing in the Weimar republic?
Much appreciated to anyone who can answer this question.
Wilhelm Was in exile in the Netherlands from his arrival in 1918 to his death in 1941.
The answers on the Republic are not my specialty but I've read much on his opinion on the Nazi's. I find his attitude to be hostile.
“ Germany had once been a nation of poets and musicians, artist and soldiers, he had made a nation of hysterics and hermits, engulfed in a mob and led by a thousand liars or fanatics”
He was also publicly critical of Hitler in this 1938 interview. http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/what_did_Kaiser_Wilhem_think_about_Hitler#.X1JUE3lKiUl
However, when Hitler invaded the Netherlands in 1940, Churchill offered Wilhelm asylum which he refused. Despite his condemnation of the Nazis, Willy would cling to hope that the monarchy may be restored, demanding that he was only to be buried in Germany if the monarchy was restored and hat no Nazi iconography was to be used at his funeral.
When Germany seized Paris he wrote Hitler a letter of congratulations, but this was nothing but brown nosing. In a private letter he vented :
"The brilliant leading generals in this war came from My school, they fought under my command in the World War as lieutenants, captains and young majors. Educated by Schlieffen they put the plans he had worked out under me into practice along the same lines as we did in 1914."
He would even disavow his own son for joining the Nazi Party. Of course the Nazi Party had risen to power on the back of this "Stab in the back mentality" of which a large part was that the young inexperienced Kaiser capitulated too early despite his generals insistence. This would of course irked the Kaiser that he was a scapegoat in the Nazi propaganda machine.