How much of an all powerful dictator was Kaiser Wihelm II?

[GuyOnInternet]

Did Kaiser Wilhelm II have absolute control like medieval king? Could he walk up to a random Geman citizen and order his execution on a whim as a laughing matter with no repurcussions? Where did his power rate on the scale between a medieval king and the US president of his time?

 

[JGalt]

Did Kaiser Wilhelm II have absolute control like medieval king? Could he walk up to a random Geman citizen and order his execution on a whim as a laughing matter with no repurcussions? Where did his power rate on the scale between a medieval king and the US president of his time?

Kaiser Wilhelm II wasn't a "dictator." Most Germans liked him until after the war.

 

[JoeB131]

Did Kaiser Wilhelm II have absolute control like medieval king? Could he walk up to a random Geman citizen and order his execution on a whim as a laughing matter with no repurcussions? Where did his power rate on the scale between a medieval king and the US president of his time?

The Kaiser was a constitutional Monarch.

The problem was that the Kaiser and the Reichstag let the military take over the running of the country in the service of the war, particularly Hindenburg and Ludendorff

 

[Zebra]

Did Kaiser Wilhelm II have absolute control like medieval king? Could he walk up to a random Geman citizen and order his execution on a whim as a laughing matter with no repurcussions?

No, he couldn't.

 

[Zebra]

The Kaiser was a constitutional Monarch.

Yes - just as consitutional as the British monarchs of that time.

 

[Kruska]

Did Kaiser Wilhelm II have absolute control like medieval king? Could he walk up to a random Geman citizen and order his execution on a whim as a laughing matter with no repurcussions? Where did his power rate on the scale between a medieval king and the US president of his time?

Imperial Germany founded 1871- was a constitutional monarchy - and a voluntary union or Confederation of several independent Kingdoms and states.
As such a Prussian official had no delegation right towards e.g. the other German Kingdoms administrative rights and self rule, incl. their own Armed Forces.
Only in the event of a war, directed against the Union, it was agreed that the Kaiser was head of all Armed Forces and free to select his own war-council.

Altogether the German Kaiser had far less power over the Union, then e.g the British King, Austria's Emperor or the Russian Czar.