The historical figure I think Trump most resembles
is Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Kaiser Bill was a bellicose ignoramus who needed constantly to be flattered. Fond of flashy uniforms, he let it be known that whenever he participated in war games, his side had to win. His son (who after the war joined the Nazi Party) was entrusted with an important military command for which he had no credentials, and botched big time. And Wilhelm was prone to setting Europe on edge with his unpredictable outbursts, including press interviews in which he antagonized foreigners (especially the British) and embarrassed his own countrymen.
He also yearned to be an absolute monarch. Visiting an exhibition of "African art" which included a display of shrunken heads mounted on poles, he remarked, "If only I could see the Reichstag deputies done up like that."
Arrogant, bigoted, and placed where he was by an accident of history (his father, the rightful heir to the throne and a moderate who admired the British limited monarchy, died after only a month in office), Kaiser Bill was the Donald Trump of German pre-war politics.
And we all know how that ended.
= new reply since forum marked as read
