Abdication of Wilhelm II and the Dutch government, however, refused the Allies' requests to extradite him. King George V wrote that his cousin was "the greatest criminal in history", but opposed Prime Minister David Lloyd George's proposal to "hang the Kaiser". U.S. President Woodrow Wilson also opposed extradition, arguing that punishing 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 of both the Prussian and imperial thrones. He also released his soldiers and officials in both Prussia and the empire from their oaths of loyalty to him. Wilhelm
SMS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse exercises, "Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse" won the Kaiser's "Schiesspreis" (Shooting Prize) for excellent gunnery in the I Squadron. In October, the ship was reassigned to the I Division of the II Squadron. In early December, the I and II Squadrons went on their regular winter cruise, this time to Danzig, where they arrived on 12 December. On the return trip to Kiel, the fleet conducted tactical exercises. Over the winter of 1906–07, "Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse" underwent a major overhaul in Kiel, which was completed by the end of April. By this time, the newest s were coming into service;