The Dispute over the Imperial Title: the Traditionalism of William I and the Policy of State Interests of Otto Von Bismarck

Abstract

The logical conclusion of the Franco-German War was, according to many contemporaries, the proclamation of the German Empire headed by King William I of Prussia. At the very last moment, a bitter dispute erupted between him and the Iron Chancellor of the North German Confederation, Otto von Bismarck, over the need for the imperial title and its form. There are several interesting sources related to this largely unexplored subject, and their examination will complement the history of the proclamation of the German Empire, bringing to light one of the most dramatic episodes in the long history of the relationship between the Emperor and his Chancellor. Bismarck associated the assumption of the imperial title with the success of the continued process of imperial integration. That was beyond the mere desire of Wilhelm I for the German princes to recognise the supremacy of the Prussian crown in Germany. The result of Bismarck's initiative in preparing the Kaiserbrief was that Wilhelm I agreed to assume the imperial title. The date of 18 January 1871 was chosen for the proclamation of the German Empire – a symbolic date, since the Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, Friedrich III, was crowned King of Prussia on 18 January 1701. The dispute between Wilhelm I and Bismarck continued over the form of the title. The difference between the title of “Emperor of Germany”, as insisted upon by Wilhelm I, and that of “German Emperor”, as suggested by Bismarck, was not simply a matter of drawing on different historical traditions. The title “Emperor of Germany” carried with it the danger of a territorial claim by the Reich to German lands that were not part of the newly created empire. This dispute culminated in the Grand Duke of Baden Frederick I declaring a triple hurrah for William I in the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles.