General Discussion

Kaiser Bill's father, Kaiser Friedrich (aka Fritz to his subjects), promoted social and political reforms to Germany's government to make it more like Britain's Parliamentary system. He was married to Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Victoria. My great-grandfather was an officer in the German cavalry. He supported Kaiser Fritz's reforms.

But Fritz died after 3 months on the throne. Kaiser Bill persecuted his father's reform supporters and accused them of treason. (Sound like someone we know?) My great-grandfather's friends warned him that he was on Kaiser Bill's list to be arrested on treason charges. They helped him escape Germany with his very pregnant wife and 3 children ages 5, 3, and 1.

My grandfather was born in Buffalo 2 weeks after his parents reached the US.

Trump is driving Americans abroad in the same way that Kaiser Bill did. Then Hitler did the same. The US benefited from Albert Einstein and many other talented and accomplished people leaving Europe to escape persecution.


ETA: In one of life's ironies, my uncle (named Bill), served in the US Army in Europe in WWII to defeat the nation that his grandfather (my great-grandfather) fled from.