Wilhelm II, German Emperor despite appeals from the Allies. King George V wrote that he looked on his cousin as "the greatest criminal in history", but opposed Prime Minister David Lloyd George's proposal to "hang the Kaiser". President Woodrow Wilson of the United States opposed extradition, arguing that prosecuting Wilhelm would destabilize international order and lose the peace. Wilhelm first settled in Amerongen, where on 28 November he issued a belated statement of abdication from both the Prussian and imperial thrones, thus formally ending the Hohenzollerns' 400-year rule over Prussia. Accepting the reality that he had lost both of his crowns for good, he
Kaiser Friedrich III-class battleship part in extensive training maneuvers in September 1902 with the rest of the fleet. Throughout the maneuvers the "Kaiser Friedrich III"-class ships operated as the opposing force, with the exception of "Kaiser Wilhelm II". As the fleet flagship, "Kaiser Wilhelm II" hosted Wilhelm II during several of the mock engagements and served as the observation point for the senior staff. Between 1907 and 1910, the ships of the class were heavily rebuilt, with the exception of "Kaiser Karl der Grosse". During the modernization, the ships had their superstructures cut down. Four 15 cm guns and one torpedo tube were also