World Gold

20 Mark Wilhelm I

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Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig was the second son of future king, Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia.  He took over as regent after his childless older brother, Friedrich Wilhelm IV, was declared insane in 1857.  Upon his brother’s death in 1861, he became Wilhelm I, King of Prussia.  During his reign, the Prussian army was transformed into a dominant war machine under the leadership of Helmuth von Moltke.  With victories against the Danes (1864) and Austrians in the Seven Weeks War (1866), Wilhelm I’s Prussia extended its boundaries across the top two-thirds of Germany and contained two-thirds of Germany’s population.  At Versailles, after Prussia defeated France in the Franco-German War (1870-71), Wilhelm I became the first German emperor on January 18, 1871.  Wilhelm I embraced the traditions of the Prussian monarchy, but struggled to accept the imperial title and his chancellor’s (Otto von Bismarck) foundation of the German Reich.

Historic Events During the life of Wilhelm I 1797 – Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig was born in Berlin on March 22nd 1834 – Zollverein Customs Union leads to economic convergence of 18 states, including Prussia, and reflects unification aspirations 1862 – Otto von Bismarck appointed Prussian chancellor 1870 – North German states brought under Prussian control 1871 – South German states join the new German empire.  France cedes territories of Alsace and Lorraine to Germany 1878 – two murder attempts on Wilhelm I’s life fail 1888 – Wilhelm I dies in Berlin on March 9th

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20 Mark Wilhelm I