Military Review English Edition July-August 2015 | Page 125

BOOK REVIEWS

especially those with an interest in World War II, although it may not offer anything particularly useful
for military professionals.
Derek R. Mallett, Fort Gordon, Georgia

KAISER WILHELM II: A Concise Life
John C.G. Rohl, Cambridge University Press,
New York, 2014, 261 pages

I

n August 1914, Europe went to war. This war was
not like any previous war—it would completely
destroy the old order and set the stage for an even
greater conflict that would change the world forever.
With the arrival of the one hundredth anniversary of
World War I, many are looking back on this great event
and trying to comprehend its meaning, its impact, and
especially what caused it to happen. How could the
“civilized” nations of Europe commit the equivalent of
suicide? One key factor was the leaders involved, and
no leader was more important in the beginning of the
war than Kaiser Wilhelm II, the leader of Imperial
Germany. In August 1914, no nation was as powerful
as Germany or played a more critical role in the events
of that time. To understand the origins of the war and
the role Germany played requires an understanding of
the kaiser.
Kaiser Wilhelm II by John C.G. Rohl provides
just such an understanding of the title character.
The author begins with the birth of the young prince
who, at the time of his birth, suffered damage to his
left arm—leaving him physically and psychologically scarred. The authors delves into the impacts
of the prince’s education and the attempts to repair
his damaged arm, as well as his mother’s perceived
British liberalism.
Elevated to the kaiser of Imperial Germany at
a young age, Wilhelm II proved to be independent
and was determined to rule as a king of old—by
divine right. His famous dismissal of Prince Otto
von Bismarck, the legendary chancellor who had
brought about German unification, would set the
stage for the kaiser’s personal rule. He, alone, would
decide the path the nation would follow—and that
path was to Germany’s rightful place in the world.
During the years leading up to World War I, the
MILITARY REVIEW  July-August 2015

author shows how the kaiser consolidates his personal rule. As a result, Germany transforms from
reasoned decision making by experienced cabinet
ministers to lackeys who did whatever the kaiser
wanted. This led, ultimately, to the reckless challenging of national interests of other nations and,
finally, to an unstable alliance system built to deal
with the threat posed by Germany.
While Kaiser Wilhelm II is a very condensed
version of the author’s three-volume set on
Wilhelm II, it is a complete and thorough overview
of the kaiser and provides valuable insight on how
he contributed to the start of World War I. This
condensed version is an easy read and well worth
the time of those wanting a good understanding of
the origins of World War I as well as those desiring an understanding on how the concentration
of power into one person leads to poor decision
making—and to disaster. Rohl’s narrative of the
kaiser also parallels another German leader, Adolf
Hitler, who followed in the kaiser’s footsteps merely
twenty years later.
Brent A. Stedry, Manhattan, Kansas

PRESIDENTS & THEIR GENERALS: An
American History of Command in War
Matthew Moten, Belknap Press, Cambridge,
Massachusetts, 2014, 456 pages

B

y writing Presidents & Their Generals: An
American History of Command in War,
Matthew Moten, former chairman of the
History Department at the United States Military
Academy, set himself an ambitious goal: to explain
the nature of wartime political-military relations
in the United States and to show how that relationship is one of constant negotiations between the
commander in chief and his wartime commanders. The fact that there are negotiations does not
mean that the parties are equal; only by working
together can a synergistic effect result in the best
policy decisions. Moten believes that this process is
profoundly important to the American public and,
consequently, they should understand the dynamics
of this relationship.
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