Interview

Interview with Rochelle Rogers, High School Psychology teacher

Q. What effect does death have on a person in their childhood?

A. I mean, that is a question that really cannot be answered because everyone grieves differently. Of course it does have an impact on a child but they may show no signs of it.

Q. How do you think Kaiser’s Wilhelm II, childhood affected later in life?

A.  Well he was such a troubled, kid they never showed him one bit of attention. He had an arm deformity and because of that he was tortured.  People did horrible things to him. You could almost say he was abused. Even His grandma, Queen Victoria, said he was a spoiled brat.

Q. Could you consider him a narcissist?

A. Well yes, we could say he was a narcissist but he was never officially diagnosed a narcissist. Of course when you grow up in the royal family with all of that attention on yourself, you could easily get caught up with your status.

Q.  Can you link anything in Czar Nicholas’s II childhood to the person he became?

A. Well he never wanted to be leader, they always talked about how he would make a great English King, because it would have been more of a ceremony. He never wanted to rule because he saw some brutal things happen. He wasn’t smart enough to rule.  It just comes down to that he was not in touch with reality of how his people were living.

Interview Question with Mr. Johnson- German History Professor

Forwarded by Julie von Foerster:

Q: How do you think the upbringings of important WW1 figures affected their role in the war? (Figures such as Princip, Rasputin, Tsar Nicholas and Wilhlem)

A: I believe that the how a child is brought up plays a large role on their adult life and even decisions that they make. Princip, for example was very poor and small, making him insecure and wanting acceptance. That could very well be an indication of why he was so apt to join the Black Hand and assassinate Franz Ferdinand. Rasputin, however, was pretty much crazy his whole life. He was believed to have special powers and was apparently able to communicate with animals at a young age, probably not the best influence on the Tsar during a time of crisis in the country. Tsar Nicholas always had a negative outlook on becoming Tsar after seeing his grandfather murdered. He really just wasn't the right fit for the job, whatsoever. Then there was Wilhelm, with his insecurities over his withered arm. Many people believe that this is why he desired such a strong army. I believe that past experiences affect one's outlook on life and decisions they make.

Gavrilo Princip

Gavrilo Princip (1894-1918)

Princip had a rough childhood, losing 6 of his 9 siblings during infancy. He was raised in poor conditions and developed tuberculosis at a young age. He was sent away to continue his education. After dropping out for politics, he soon attempted to enlist in the Serbian Army, but was rejected because of his small stature. However, because of his illness, he was too weak to fight in combat and instead, became part of the plot for Franz Ferdinand’s assassination. Princip sought out acceptance due to his illness and small stature.

From our research, we inferred that Princip seeked acceptance from a young because of his small size. After being rejected from the Serbian Army he seeked approval and turned to the Black Hand, which was a secret terrorism group against the Serbian government.  It’s possible that Princip suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder which is instability of emotions, self- image and behavior because he was constantly ridiculed for his size. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand was one the main set offs for World War 1.

Grigori Rasputin

Grigori Rasputin (1864-1916)

 

Rasputin was raised in Siberia, Russia. His father had gone to prison before getting married and starting his family. Both Rasputin’s older sister and younger brother died due to a nearby river.  This had a serious effect on Rasputin. As a child he was believed to have special powers, by talking to animals in an inverted language.

From our research, we inferred that his parents most likely instilled an authoritarian style of parenting. This involves parenting low in warmth and comfort with strict discipline. This can cause children to rebel, which explains why Rasputin was the way he was. He was raised in a religious home, yet as an adult he was often found getting drunk and naked in public. Rasputin often gave disastrous advice to the Tsar and his family, with little concern of the consequences. This advice was often the actions that Tsar Nicholas would incorporate into his political regime.  With his lack of responsibility, he was really not the best source of advice, especially during the critical times of war.

Tzar Nicholas II

 

Tzar Nicholas II (1894 –1917)

When Tsar Nicholas was a young child, he saw his grandfather get assassinated. After that, he had a relatively simple childhood until he was sent to travel the world by his father. He had no interest in becoming tsar and was fearful of the job after seeing his grandfather get blown up. After becoming tsar and marrying Alexandra, they started a family. They had 4 girls, but the couple was not able to have a boy to become the throne after Nicholas. This hurt Alexandra’s mental health and put a lot of stress on the family. They were finally able to have one son, Alexis, who unfortunately had hemophilia.

From our research, we inferred that Nicholas’s lack of interest in becoming the tsar and political inexperience was displayed when Russia left the war. He didn’t know how to handle the war or his growing lack of acceptance by his people. He son’s hemophilia, caused Nicholas and Alexandra to get extra help from Rasputin, who ended up giving political advice to an already suffered monarchy. The stress of producing a son, and his son’s illness compromised Nicholas’s and Alexandra’s mental health.

Kaiser Wilhelm

Kaiser Wilhelm (1859-1941)

Kaiser Wilhelm II was born with a withered arm.  He was often picked on and ridiculed for his inadequate arm. His parents wished for him a functioning arm and would force him into electrocution and other forms of torture to try to fix the withered arm. He was often pampered and spoiled because he was the heir to the throne, this caused him to become in some ways narcissistic. Even his grandmother, the Queen of England, suggested he needed a spanking. He became very interested in political politics, militarism and anti- Semitism. It was also noted that he had a love-hate relationship with his Uncle, Edward VII from England.

From our research, we inferred that Kasier’s withered arm, and the way his family perceived it, made him insecure for the majority of his life. This could be an indication as to why the Kaiser was insecure about his country’s army and would push them to be the best.  He may have lead them into the war, not only because of the allied powers, but also because he wanted to avoid the shame that not fighting would bring on the country. His narcissistic tendencies also had an effect on him and his country entering the world, and thinking that it was undeniable victory.