y the autumn of 1918 Germany was on the verge of starvation—the result of four years of war and blockade. Sailors led a revolt in Wilhelmshaven on 29 October 1918, followed by the Kiel mutiny in the first days of November cascading eventually to Germany’s capitulation and the Kaiser’s abdication. The Hohelzollern family’s rule had come to an end.

Royalty historian John Van der Kiste, the author of the recent best-selling ‘Prussian Princesses’ here provides a full analysis of the Kaiser’s family heritage, his leading part in the Prussian militarism which in recently unified German led to a full national martial tradition simply bursting for a fight. The book also tells of the vital events in later 1918 which led to the partial and then full abdication, and the Kaiser’s pitiful escape to the neutral Netherlands, unwilling hosts for a somewhat unwelcome visitor.

The Third Reich also comes into play with Hitler’s initial ambivalent attitude, and then the full floral tribute after the Kaiser’s death. It also covers the anti-Hitler plotters who intended to use a Hohenzollern Prince as a figurehead to provide legitimacy to a post-Hitler Germany.