The empire ended in 1918 when Emperor (Kaiser) Wilhelm II was forced to abdicate the throne at the time of Germany's defeat at the end of World War I (1914-1918) and was followed by the short-lived and ill fated so called Weimar Republic, which tried in vain to completely establish a liberal, democratic regime.
Lo mbuso waphela e-1918 lapho uKaiser Wilhelm II aphoqeleka ukuba athunjwe ngesikhathi sokuhlulwa kweJalimane ngasekupheleni kweMpi Yezwe I (1914-1918) kwalandelwa yisikhathi esifushane nesingalunganga esibizwa ngeReimar Republic, esizamile ngeze ukusungula ngokuphelele isizwe esinenkululeko, esithuthukayo nenentando yeningi.