<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> William I, or in German Wilhelm I. (full name: William Frederick Louis of Hohenzollern, German: Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig von Hohenzollern, 22 March 1797--9 March 1888), of the House of Hohenzollern was King of Prussia from 2 January 1861 and the first German Emperor from 18 January 1871 to his death, the first Head of State of a united Germany . Under the leadership of William and his Minister President Otto von Bismarck, Prussia achieved the unification of Germany and the establishment of the German Empire . Despite his long support of Bismarck as Minister President, William held strong reservations about some of Bismarck's more reactionary policies, including his anti-Catholicism and tough handling of subordinates . In contrast to the domineering Bismarck, William was described as polite, gentlemanly and, while a staunch conservative, more open to certain classical liberal ideas than his grandson Wilhelm II . </P> <P> The future king and emperor was born William Frederick Louis of Prussia (Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig von Preußen) in the Kronprinzenpalais in Berlin on 22 March 1797 . As the second son of Louise of Mecklenburg - Strelitz and Prince Frederick William, himself son of King Frederick William II, William was not expected to ascend to the throne . His grandfather died the year he was born, at age 53, in 1797, and his father Frederick William III became king . He was educated from 1801 to 1809 by Johann Friedrich Gottlieb Delbrück (de), who was also in charge of the education of William's brother, the Crown Prince Frederick William . At age twelve, his father appointed him an officer in the Prussian army . </P>

Who was proclaimed the german emperor in 1871