Editing Wilhelm II (section)

==Abdication and exile==
{{Main|Abdication of Wilhelm II}}

{{wikisource|Statement of Abdication}}
Wilhelm was at the Imperial Army headquarters in [[Spa, Belgium]], when the uprisings in Berlin and other centres took him by surprise in late 1918. [[Wilhelmshaven mutiny|Mutiny]] among the ranks of his beloved [[Kaiserliche Marine]], the imperial navy, profoundly shocked him. After the outbreak of the [[German Revolution]], Wilhelm could not make up his mind whether to abdicate. Up to that point, he accepted that he would likely have to give up the imperial crown, but still hoped to retain the Prussian kingship. He believed that as ruler of two-thirds of Germany, he would still be a key player in any new system. However, this was impossible under the imperial constitution. Wilhelm thought he ruled as emperor in a [[personal union]] with Prussia. In truth, the constitution defined the empire as a confederation of states under the permanent presidency of Prussia. The imperial crown was thus tied to the Prussian crown, meaning that Wilhelm could not renounce one crown without renouncing the other.

Wilhelm's hope of retaining at least one of his crowns was revealed as unrealistic when, in the hope of preserving the monarchy in the face of growing revolutionary unrest, Chancellor [[Prince Max of Baden]] announced Wilhelm's abdication of both titles on 9 November 1918. Prince Max himself was forced to resign later the same day, when it became clear that only [[Friedrich Ebert]], leader of the [[SPD]], could effectively exert control. Later that day, one of Ebert's secretaries of state (ministers), Social Democrat [[Philipp Scheidemann]], [[Proclamation of the republic in Germany|proclaimed Germany a republic]].

Wilhelm accepted this ''fait accompli'' only after Ludendorff's replacement, General [[Wilhelm Groener]], had informed him that the officers and men of the army would march back in good order under Hindenburg's command, but would certainly not fight for Wilhelm's throne. The monarchy's last and strongest support had been broken, and finally even Hindenburg, himself a lifelong monarchist, was obliged, after polling his generals, to advise the Emperor to give up the crown.{{Sfn | Cecil | 1989 | p=292}} On 10 November, Wilhelm crossed the border by train and went into exile in the neutral [[Netherlands]].{{Sfn | Cecil | 1989 | p=294}} Upon the conclusion of the [[Treaty of Versailles]] in early 1919, Article 227 expressly provided for the prosecution of Wilhelm "for a supreme offence against international morality and the sanctity of treaties", but the Dutch government refused to extradite him. King George V wrote that he looked on his cousin as "the greatest criminal in history" but opposed Prime Minister [[David Lloyd George]]'s proposal to "hang the Kaiser".  There was little zeal in Britain to prosecute. On 1 January 1920, it was stated in official circles in London that Great Britain would "welcome refusal by Holland to deliver the former kaiser for trial," and it was hinted that this had been conveyed to the Dutch government through diplomatic channels:

{{blockquote|Punishment of the former kaiser and other German war criminals is worrying Great Britain little, it was said. As a matter of form, however, the British and French governments were expected to request Holland for the former kaiser's extradition. Holland, it was said, will refuse on the ground of constitutional provisions covering the case and then the matter will be dropped. The request for extradition will not be based on genuine desire on the part of British officials to bring the kaiser to trial, according to authoritative information, but is considered necessary formality to 'save the face' of politicians who promised to see that Wilhelm was punished for his crimes.<ref>United Press, "Former Kaiser Will Never Be Tried For War – Holland Will Refuse Extradition – Demand Will Be Made as Matter of Form But Britain and France Will Drop Case When Dutch Refuse to Deliver War Lord", ''Riverside Daily Press'', Riverside, California, Thursday evening, 1 January 1920, Volume XXXV, No. 1, p. 1.</ref>}}

President Woodrow Wilson of the United States opposed extradition, arguing that prosecuting Wilhelm would destabilise international order and lose the peace.{{Sfn | Ashton | Hellema | 2000 | pp = 53–78}}

Wilhelm first settled in [[Amerongen Castle|Amerongen]], where on 28 November he issued a belated statement of abdication from both the Prussian and imperial thrones, thus formally ending the Hohenzollerns' 500-year rule over Prussia and its predecessor state, Brandenburg. Finally accepting the reality that he had lost both of his crowns for good, he gave up his rights to "the throne of Prussia and to the German Imperial throne connected therewith". He also released his soldiers and officials in both Prussia and the empire from their oath of loyalty to him.{{Sfn|Hart|1919|p=153}} He purchased a country house in the municipality of [[Doorn]], known as [[Huis Doorn]], and moved in on 15 May 1920.{{Sfn | Macdonogh | 2001 | p = 426}} This was to be his home for the remainder of his life.<ref>[http://www.radionetherlandsarchives.org/the-last-kaiser-the-dramatic-story-of-wilhelm-ii-the-last-emperor-of-the-german-reich/ The Last Kaiser, Radio Netherlands Archives, November 1998]</ref> The [[Weimar Republic]] allowed Wilhelm to remove twenty-three railway wagons of furniture, twenty-seven containing packages of all sorts, one bearing a car and another a boat, from the [[New Palace (Potsdam)|New Palace]] at Potsdam.{{Sfn | Macdonogh | 2001 | p = 425}}