Prussian Kronprinz Wilhelm 1901 2nd Cuirassier Regiment BMM37

FREDERICK WILLIAM VICTOR AUGUSTUS ERNEST (GERMAN: FRIEDRICH WILHELM VICTOR AUGUST ERNST) (6 MAY 1882 – 20 JULY 1951) OF THE HOUSE OF HOHENZOLLERN WAS THE LAST CROWN PRINCE OF THE KINGDOM OF PRUSSIA AND THE GERMAN EMPIRE.

WILLIAM WAS BORN IN THE MARMORPALAIS OF POTSDAM IN THE PROVINCE OF BRANDENBURG. HE WAS THE ELDEST SON OF WILHELM II, GERMAN EMPEROR (1859–1941) AND HIS FIRST WIFE PRINCESS AUGUSTA VIKTORIA OF SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN (1858–1921). WHEN HE WAS BORN, HE WAS THIRD IN LINE FOR THE THRONE, BEHIND HIS GRANDFATHER AND FATHER, AS THE REIGNING EMPEROR WAS HIS GREAT-GRANDFATHER, WILLIAM I. HE WAS THE ELDEST OF THE KAISER’S SEVEN CHILDREN. WHEN HIS GREAT-GRANDFATHER AND GRANDFATHER DIED IN 1888, HE BECAME THE HEIR TO THE GERMAN THRONE.

WILLIAM MARRIED DUCHESS CECILIE OF MECKLENBURG-SCHWERIN (20 SEPTEMBER 1886 – 6 MAY 1954) IN BERLIN ON 6 JUNE 1905. CECILIE WAS THE DAUGHTER OF GRAND DUKE FREDERICK FRANCIS III OF MECKLENBURG-SCHWERIN (1851–1897) AND HIS WIFE, GRAND DUCHESS ANASTASIA MIKHAILOVNA OF RUSSIA (1860–1922). THEIR ELDEST SON, PRINCE WILHELM OF PRUSSIA, WAS KILLED FIGHTING FOR THE GERMAN ARMY IN FRANCE IN 1940.

DESPITE BEING RAISED WITHIN MILITARIASTIC CIRCLES, THE CROWN PRINCE HAD LITTLE COMMAND EXPERIENCE WHEN HE WAS NAMED COMMANDER OF THE 5TH ARMY IN AUGUST 1914, SHORTLY AFTER THE OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR I. IN NOVEMBER 1914, WILLIAM GAVE HIS FIRST INTERVIEW TO A FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT AND THE FIRST STATEMENT TO THE PRESS MADE BY A GERMAN NOBLE SINCE THE OUTBREAK OF WAR. HE SAID THIS IN ENGISH: “UNDOUBTEDLY ,THIS IS THE MOST STUPID, SENSELESS AND UNNECESSARY WAR OF MODERN TIMES. IT IS A WAR NOT WANTED BY GERMANY, I CAN ASSURE YOU, BUT IT WAS FORCED ON US, AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE SO EFFECTUALLY PREPARED TO DEFEND OURSELVES IS NOW BEING USED AS AN ARGUMENT TO CONVINCE THE WORLD THAT WE DESIRED CONFLICT.”—CROWN PRINCE WILHELM, WIEGAND

HE LED THE 5TH ARMY UNTIL NOVEMBER 1916, A TWO-YEAR PERIOD WHICH INCLUDED THE BATTLE OF ATTRITION KNOWN AS THE VERDUN OFFENSIVE. FROM APRIL 1916 ONWARD, HE TRIED IN VAIN TO CONVINCE THE SUPREME COMMAND THAT THE VERDUN OFFENSIVE NO LONGER MADE ANY SENSE, BUT THE CAMPAIGN CONTINUED UNTIL 2 SEPTEMBER OF THAT YEAR.

THE CUIRASSIER REGIMENT “QUEEN” (POMMERANIAN) NO. 2 (GERMAN: KÜRASSIER-REGIMENT “KÖNIGIN” (POMMERSCHES) NR. 2) WAS A PRUSSIAN CAVALRY REGIMENT. FORMED IN 1717 AS DRAGONER-REGIMENT NR.5 BAYREUTH DRAGONER IT WAS ORIGINALLY A DRAGOON REGIMENT AND WAS PART OF THE PRUSSIAN ORDER OF BATTLE UNTIL 1918. THE BAYREUTH DRAGOONS, ACHIEVED FAME FOR THEIR ROLE IN WINNING THE BATTLE OF HOHENFRIEDBERG IN 1745. IN 1861, THE REGIMENT WAS AWARDED “HOHENFRIEDBERG 1745” BANDILER ON THEIR HELMETS. IN 1819 IT WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A CUIRASSIER REGIMENT. APART FROM SHORT INTERRUPTIONS, THE REGIMENTAL GARRISON WAS PASEWALK IN WESTERN POMMERANIA FROM 1721 TO 1919.

KRONPRINZ WILHELM WAS COMMISSIONED INTO THE CUIRASSIER REGIMENT “QUEEN” (POMMERANIAN) NO. 2 AT A VERY YOUNG AGE, AND BECAME À LA SUITE OF THE REGIMENT OCTOBER 22, 1905. THE BUST IS BASED ON THE COMPLETE UNIFORM IN THE CRAMER MUSEUM, WORN BY THE KRONPRINZ IN 1900 –1902.