The German Emperor as Shown in His Public UtterancesWilliam II, German Emperor
History
The German Emperor as Shown in His Public Utterances
William II, German Emperor
Germany -- History -- William II, 1888-1918 -- Sources; Germany -- Politics And Government -- 1871-1918
For all this I thank the army deeply. I thank it for the devotion which
it has unselfishly shown me and my house year in and year out, in its
unceasing service for the Fatherland. So long as this spirit binds the
army to its Kings, so long we need fear no storms; and Prussia's eagle
will proudly pursue its lofty and undeflected flight for the good of
Prussia, for the good of Germany! May God grant us this!
WILLIAM, I. R.
BERLIN ROYAL PALACE.
DEDICATION OF THE BARRACKS OF THE ALEXANDER REGIMENT
MARCH 28, 1901
On the 6th of March the Emperor had been struck in the face by a
piece of iron hurled at him by an irresponsible youth, Weiland, in
the streets of Bremen. It was doubtless this incident coupled with
the increasing strength of the Social Democrats that made him think
of the possibility of an uprising and deliver the following address
to the population of Berlin. The Social Democrats and many others
resented his suggesting the possibility of turning the troops
upon the citizens. We give first Penzler's more or less official
account of the speech as it appeared in the _Kreuzzeitung_. If the
extract which we quote from Doctor Liman's work "Der Kaiser" may be
considered at all authentic, the speech seems to have been somewhat
edited before publication.
MEMBERS OF THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER REGIMENT:
To-day a new period in your history begins. May the spirit of the
memories which you leave behind you in the old barracks live on in
your new home. They are memories of beautiful days of peace and of
fierce days of conflict. Like a firm bulwark, your new barracks stand
in the neighborhood of the palace, which it is primarily your duty to
be ever ready to defend. The Emperor Alexander Regiment is called upon
in a sense to stand ready as body-guard by night and by day and, if
necessary, to risk its life and its blood for the King and his house;
and if ever again (the Emperor here called to mind the faithful bearing
of the Alexander Regiment at the time of the revolts against the King
in 1848) a time like this should reappear in this city, a time of
uprising against the King, then I am convinced the Alexander Regiment
will be able energetically to force back into bounds any impertinence
and rebelliousness against its royal master.[32]
[32] This last sentence reads as follows in Doctor Liman's work:
"But if the city should ever again presume to rise up against
its master then will the regiment repress with the bayonet the
impertinence of the people toward their King." Doctor Liman states
that it was currently reported that this sentiment had been
expressed in phrases which were even more objectionable to the
citizens who were standing outside the circle of soldiers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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