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List of German monarchs in 1918

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German Empire
Imperial standard of the German Emperor (1871–1918)
Preceded byKingdom of Prussia
Followed byAbolished 1918

The term German Empire (Deutsches Kaiserreich) commonly refers to Germany from its foundation as a unified nation-state on 18 January 1871 until the abdication of its last Kaiser, Wilhelm II, was proclaimed on 9 November 1918. Germans, when referring to the Reich in this period under the Kaisers, 1871 to 1918, typically use the term Kaiserreich.[1]

Federal prince (Bundesfürst) was the generic term for the royal heads of state (monarchs) of the various states making up the German Empire. The empire was a federal state, with its constituent states remaining sovereign states. In total, there were 22 federal princes of the German Empire and additionally three republican heads of state and the steward of the imperial territory ruled by Alsace-Lorraine. The states became part of the Kaiserreich by an 1871 treaty. The Kaiser as head of the empire was granted the title German Emperor (the style "Emperor of Germany" being deliberately avoided), and was simultaneously a federal prince as King of Prussia, the sovereign of its largest federal state. Of the princely heads of state, 4 held the title King (König) (the Kings of Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, and Württemberg), 6 held the title Grand Duke (Großherzog), 5 held the title Duke (Herzog), and 7 held the title Prince (i.e. Sovereign Prince, Fürst).

Following the unilateral proclamation of the abdication of Wilhelm II on 9 November 1918 by German Chancellor Maximilian von Baden[2] and the German Revolution of 1918–19, the German nobility and royalty as legally defined classes were abolished on 11 August 1919 with the promulgation of the Weimar Constitution, under which all Germans were made equal before the law, and the legal rights and privileges, and all following German Houses, titles, insignia and ranks of nobility were abolished.

The list does not include local rulers in German colonies such as Yuhi V of Rwanda, Mwambutsa IV of Burundi and Aweida of Nauru.

German Emperor (1918)

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Emperor Styles Empress Symbols German Empire 1871 – 1918


1859 – 1941 		His Imperial and Royal Majesty
The German Emperor, King of Prussia
Wilhelm II


Her Imperial and Royal Majesty
The German Empress, Queen of Prussia
Augusta Victoria

1858 – 1921 		House of Hohenzollern
Imperial arms of the Kaiserreich



1871 – 1918 		Kingdoms
Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Württemberg
Grand Duchies
Baden, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Oldenburg, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Duchies
Anhalt, Brunswick, Saxe-Altenburg, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Saxe-Meiningen
Principalities
Lippe, Reuss, junior line, Reuss, senior line, Schaumburg-Lippe, Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, Waldeck-Pyrmont
Free Hanseatic cities
Bremen, Hamburg, Lübeck
Imperial territory (Reichsland)
Alsace-Lorraine

Kings and Kingdoms (1918)

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Ruler Title Arms – Flag House – State Location Spouse – Children
King
Wilhelm II
1859 – 1941

House of Hohenzollern
C.11th – 1918

Kingdom of Prussia
1701 – 1918 		Spouse:
(1) Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein
(2) Hermine Reuss of Greiz

Children:
(1) German Crown Prince Wilhelm, (2) Prince Eitel Friedrich, (3) Prince Adalbert, (4) Prince August Wilhelm, (5) Prince Oskar, (6) Prince Joachim, (7) Princess Viktoria Luise

King
Ludwig III
1845 – 1921
House of Wittelsbach
1180–1918

Kingdom of Bavaria
1806 – 1918 		Spouse:
(1) Maria Theresia of Austria-Este

Children:
(1) Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria, (2) Adelgunde of Hohenzollern, (3) Maria, Duchess of Calabria, (4) Prince Karl, (5) Prince Franz, (6) Mathilde Ludwig of Saxe-Coburg-Kohary (7) Prince Wolfgang (8) Princess Hildegarde, (9) Princess Notburga, (10) Wiltrud, Duchess of Urach, (11) Princess Helmtrud, (12) Princess Dietlinde, (13) Princess Gundelinde

King
Frederick Augustus III
1865 – 1932

House of Wettin
900 – 1918

Kingdom of Saxony
1806 – 1918 		Spouse:
(1) Archduchess Luise of Austria, Princess of Tuscany

Children:
(1) Crown Prince Georg of Saxony, (2) Friedrich Christian, Margrave of Meissen, (3) Prince Ernst Heinrich, (4) Princess Maria Alix Karola, (5) Princess Margarete Karola, (6) Princess Maria Alix (Luitpolda), (7) Princess Anna

King
Wilhelm II
1848 – 1921

House of Württemberg
1081 – 1918

Kingdom of Württemberg
1806 – 1918 		Spouse:
(1) Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont
(2) Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe

Children:
(1) Pauline, Princess of Wied, (2) Prince Ulrich

Grand Dukes and Grand Duchies (1918)

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Ruler Title Arms – Flag House – State Location Spouse – Children
Grand Duke
Friedrich II
1857 – 1928

House of Zähringen
C.10th – 1918

Grand Duchy of Baden
1806 – 1918 		Spouse:
(1) Princess Hilda of Nassau
Grand Duke
Ernest Louis
1868 – 1937

House of Hesse-Darmstadt
1806 – 1918

Grand Duchy of Hesse
1806 – 1918 		Spouse:
(1) Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
(2) Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich

Children:
(1) Princess Elisabeth, (2) Hereditary Grand Duke George Donatus, (3) Prince Louis

Grand Duke and Regent
Friedrich Franz IV
1882 – 1945
House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
1131 – 1918

Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
1815 – 1918
Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
(Regent, 1918) 		Spouse:
(1) Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland

Children:
(1) Hereditary Grand Duke Friedrich Franz, (2) Duke Christian Ludwig, (3) Duchess Olga, (4) Duchess Thyra, (5) Anastasia, Princess Friedrich Ferdinand of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

Grand Duke
Friedrich August II
1852 – 1931

House of Holstein-Gottorp
(Oldenburg)
1544 – 1918

Grand Duchy of Oldenburg
1814 – 1918 		Spouse:
(1) Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia, (2) Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Children:
(1) Sophia Charlotte, Princess Eitel Friedrich of Prussia, (2) Duchess Margaret, (3) Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke (4) Duchess Alexandrine, (5) Ingeborg Alix, Princess Stephan of Schaumburg-Lippe, (6) Altburg, Hereditary Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont

Grand Duke
Wilhelm Ernest
1876 – 1923

House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
1741 – 1918

Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
1809 – 1920 		Spouse:
(1) Princess Caroline Reuss of Greiz, (2) Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen

Children:
(1) Sophie, Princess of Schwarzburg, (2) Hereditary Grand Duke Charles Augustus, (3) Prince Bernhard, (4) Prince Georg

Dukes and Duchies (1918)

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Ruler Title Arms – Flag House – State Location Spouse – Children
Duke
Joachim Ernst
1901 – 1947
House of Ascania
1036 – 1918

Duchy of Anhalt
1863 – 1918 		Spouse:
(1) Elisabeth Strickrodt, (2) Editha Marwitz von Stephani

Children:
(1) Princess Alexandra, (2) Princess Anna Luise, (3) Hereditary Prince Friedrich, (4) Princess Edda, (5) Prince Eduard

Duke
Ernest Augustus
1887 – 1953

House of Hanover
1635 – 1918

Duchy of Brunswick
1815 – 1918 		Spouse:
(1) Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia

Children:
(1) Hereditary Prince Ernst August, (2) Prince Georg Wilhelm, (3) Frederica, Queen of the Hellenes, (4) Prince Christian Oskar, (5) Prince Welf Heinrich

Duke
Ernst II
1871 – 1955

House of Wettin
900 – 1918

Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg
1826 – 1918 		Spouse:
(1) Princess Adelaide of Schaumburg-Lippe, (2) Maria Triebel (morganatic)

Children:
(1) Charlotte Agnes, Princess Sigismund of Prussia, (2) Hereditary Prince Georg Moritz, (3) Princess Elisabeth Karola, (4) Prince Friedrich Ernst

Duke
Charles Edward
1884 – 1954

House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
1826 – 1918

Duchy of Saxe-Coburg Gotha
1826 – 1918 		Spouse:
(1) Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein

Children:
(1) Hereditary Prince Johann Leopold, (2) Princess Sibylla, Duchess of Västerbotten, (3) Prince Hubertus, (4) Princess Caroline Mathilde, (5) Prince Friedrich Josias

Duke
Bernhard III
1851 – 1928

House of Saxe-Meiningen
(Wettin)
1680 – 1918

Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen
1680 – 1918 		Spouse:
(1) Princess Charlotte of Prussia

Children:
(1) Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen

Princes and Principalities (1918)

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Ruler Title Arms – Flag House – State Location Spouse – Children
Prince
Leopold IV
1871 – 1949
House of Lippe
1123 – 1918

Principality of Lippe
1123 – 1918 		Spouse:
(1) Princess Bertha of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld
(2) Princess Anna of Ysenburg and Büdingen

Children:
(1) Hereditary Prince Ernst, (2) Prince Leopold Bernhard, (3) Princess Karoline, (4) Prince Chlodwig, (5) Princess Sieglinde, (6) Prince Armin

Prince
Adolf II
1883 – 1936
House of Lippe
1123 – 1918

Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe
1643 – 1918 		Spouse:
(1) Ellen Bischoff-Korthaus (1894–1936)
Prince
Günther Victor
1852 – 1925
House of Schwarzburg
11?? – 1918

Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
1599 – 1919
Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
(1909–1920) 		Spouse

(1) Princess Anna Louise of Schönburg-Waldenburg

Prince
Friedrich
1865 – 1946
House of Waldeck and Pyrmont
1815 – 1918

Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont
1180 – 1918 		Spouse:
(1) Princess Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe

Children:
(1) Josias, Hereditary Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, (2) Prince Maximilian, (3) Helena, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Oldenburg, (4) Prince Georg

Prince
Heinrich XXIV
1878 – 1927

House of Reuss
(Elder Line)
1778 – 1918

Principality of Reuss-Greiz
1778 – 1918
Prince
Heinrich XXVII
1858 – 1928

House of Reuss
(Younger Line)
1913 – 1918

Principality of Reuss-Gera
1806 – 1918 		Spouse:
(1) Princess Elise of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

Children:
(1) Viktoria, Duchess Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, (2) Princess Luise Adelheid, (3) Prince Heinrich XL, (4) Prince Heinrich XLIII, (5) Heinrich XLV, Hereditary Prince Reuss Younger Line

November Revolution abdications

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Throughout the month of November 1918, all 22 monarchs within the German Empire were either forced to abdicate, or stepped down of their own accord. Duke Ernest Augustus of Brunswick was the first to do so on 8 November. The next day, the Emperor and King of Prussia Wilhelm II, went into exile in the Netherlands, and his abdication (which he would not officially confirm until 28 November, see below) was announced by his Chancellor and Prussian Minister President Maximilian of Baden. MSPD co-chairman Philipp Scheidemann proclaimed the new "German Republic" from the Reichstag building to gathered crowds, while two hours thereafter Spartacist leader Karl Liebknecht proclaimed the "Free Socialist Republic of Germany" at Berlin Palace. Neither proclamation of the republic was constitutional, and the political situation remained chaotic for several more months, with a short civil war between radical leftist revolutionaries and the more moderate post-imperial social democrat government that would emerge victorious and form the Weimar Republic. Nevertheless, the proclamations and Wilhelm II's abdication triggered a powerful domino effect: the same day a number of other princes stepped down, and within a week most monarchs in Germany had followed suit. The last to abdicate was King William II of Württemberg on 30 November 1918.

Date Title and name State
9 November 1918 Emperor Wilhelm II German Empire
9 November 1918 King Wilhelm II Kingdom of Prussia
13 November 1918 King Ludwig III Kingdom of Bavaria
13 November 1918 King Frederick Augustus III Kingdom of Saxony
30 November 1918 King William II Kingdom of Württemberg
22 November 1918 Grand Duke Frederick II Grand Duchy of Baden
9 November 1918 Grand Duke Ernest Louis Grand Duchy of Hesse
14 November 1918 Grand Duke Frederick Francis IV Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
14 November 1918 Regent Frederick Francis Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
11 November 1918 Grand Duke Frederick Augustus II Grand Duchy of Oldenburg
9 November 1918 Grand Duke William Ernest Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
12 November 1918 Duke Joachim Ernst Duchy of Anhalt
8 November 1918 Duke Ernest Augustus Duchy of Brunswick
13 November 1918 Duke Ernst II Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg
14 November 1918 Duke Charles Edward Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
10 November 1918 Duke Bernhard III Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen
12 November 1918 Prince Leopold IV Principality of Lippe
15 November 1918 Prince Adolf II Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe
22 November 1918 Prince Günther Victor Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
13 November 1918 Prince Friedrich Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont
10 November 1918 Prince Heinrich XXIV Principality of Reuss-Greiz
11 November 1918 Prince Heinrich XXVII Principality of Reuss-Gera

Imperial statement of abdication (1918)

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Main article: Abdication of Wilhelm II

I herewith renounce for all time claims to the throne of Prussia and to the German Imperial throne connected therewith.

At the same time I release all officials of the German Empire and of Prussia, as well as all officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the navy and of the Prussian army, as well as the troops of the federated states of Germany, from the oath of fidelity which they tendered to me as their Emperor, King and Commander-in-Chief. I expect of them that until the re-establishment of order in the German Empire they shall render assistance to those in actual power in Germany, in protecting the German people from the threatening dangers of anarchy, famine, and foreign rule. Proclaimed under our own hand and with the imperial seal attached. Amerongen, 28 November 1918. Signed WILLIAM.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Harper's magazine, Volume 63. Pp. 593. While the term Reich does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people, the term Kaiserreich literally denotes an empire - particularly a hereditary empire led by a literal emperor, though Reich has been used in German to denote the Roman Empire because it had a weak hereditary tradition. In the case of the German Empire, the official name Deutsches Reich is properly translated as "German Realm"; under its constitution the King of Prussia, as head of state, officially "presided" over a confederation of German states, and held "the title of German Emperor" in the sense of an emperor who was German, rather than emperor of a German state.
  2. ^ Röhl, John C. G. (10 March 2016). Daniel, Ute; Gatrell, Peter; Janz, Oliver; Jones, Heather; Keene, Jennifer; Kramer, Alan; Nasson, Bill (eds.). "Wilhelm II, German Emperor". 1914–1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War. Freie Universität Berlin. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  3. ^ Statement of Abdication (1918). As translated and appearing in the 1923 Source Records of the Great War, Vol. VI, edited by Charles F. Horne.

•Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "William II. of Germany" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 667–669.

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