Frederick III (German Emperor)

The liberal emperor who reigned for only ninety-nine days.

Life

Liberal crown prince

Frederick, son of William I, married the eldest daughter of Britain's Queen Victoria. The couple leaned toward British-style liberalism and parliamentary government, and their relations with Bismarck were tense.

Throat cancer

He was an important commander in the Austro-Prussian War and the Franco-Prussian War, distinguishing himself at Königgrätz and Sedan. Because his father lived so long, he was crown prince for nearly thirty years.

Ninety-nine days

When his father died in March 1888, he came to the throne already suffering from throat cancer and unable to speak; he died after reigning only ninety-nine days and was succeeded by his son William II. Many later imagined that had he reigned longer, Germany might have taken a different path.

Legacy

Frederick III is German history's famous "unfulfilled monarch," and his early death is often seen as one of the turning points in Germany's path toward militarism.

Did you know? His doctors disagreed over the diagnosis of his throat cancer, and the dispute between the British and German physicians became a diplomatic row of the day.

Key dates

• 1858Married Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom
• 1866Distinguished himself at Königgrätz
• 1870Fought in the Franco-Prussian War
• 1888Took the throne; died ninety-nine days later