SS Imperator Steamer Ship Eagle Statue Real Photo Postcard
The figurehead on this vintage postcard belongs to the German Imperial Navy battleship SMS *Kaiser Wilhelm II*. Launched in 1897 and commissioned in 1902, the ship was a flagship of the German fleet and a potent symbol of Kaiser Wilhelm II's ambition to transform Germany into a global naval power. Its prominent figurehead, an imperial eagle adorned with a crown and grasping a globe inscribed with "IST DIE WELT" ('is the world'), visually represented this era of expansive naval policy and imperial aspirations.
This period, known as 'Weltpolitik' (world policy), saw Germany vigorously pursuing a role as a major world power, particularly through a significant build-up of its high-seas fleet. The SMS *Kaiser Wilhelm II*, as a pre-dreadnought battleship, was a key component of this strategy, intended to challenge established maritime powers like Great Britain and project German influence across the globe, defining naval competition in the years leading up to World War I.
This period, known as 'Weltpolitik' (world policy), saw Germany vigorously pursuing a role as a major world power, particularly through a significant build-up of its high-seas fleet. The SMS *Kaiser Wilhelm II*, as a pre-dreadnought battleship, was a key component of this strategy, intended to challenge established maritime powers like Great Britain and project German influence across the globe, defining naval competition in the years leading up to World War I.
