Kaiser Wilhelm's Proclamation to the German People, January 13, 1917

WWI Document Archive > 1916 Documents > Official Communications and Speeches Relating to Peace Proposals 1916-1917 > Kaiser Wilhelm's Proclamation to the German People, January 13, 1917

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Kaiser Wilhelm's Proclamation to the German People, January 13, 1917¹

     Our enemies have dropped the mask. After refusing with scorn
and hypocritical words of love for peace and humanity our honest
peace offer, they now, in their reply to the United States, have gone
beyond that and admitted their lust for conquest, the baseness of
which is further enhanced by their calumnious assertions. Their aim
is the crushing of Germany, the dismemberment of the Powers allied
with us, and the enslavement of the freedom of Europe and the seas,
under the same yoke that Greece, with gnashing of teeth, is now en-
during. But what they, in thirty months of the bloodiest fighting and
unscrupulous economic war could not achieve, they will also in all
the future not accomplish.
     Our glorious victories and our iron strength of will, with which
our fighting people at the front and at home have borne all hard-
ships and distress, guarantee that also in the future our beloved
Fatherland has nothing to fear. Burning indignation and holy wrath
will redouble the strength of every German man and woman, wheth-
er it is devoted to fighting, work, or suffering. We are ready for all
sacrifices. The God who planted His glorious spirit of freedom in
our brave people's heart will also give us and our loyal Allies, tested
in battle, full victory over all the enemy lust for power and rage for
destruction.

                                                                      WILHELM, I. R.

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¹The Times, London, January 15, 1917