Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg
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Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg or Albrecht Herzog von Württemberg (Albrecht Maria Alexander Philipp Joseph von Württemberg, 23 December 1865 – 31 October 1939) was a German Generalfeldmarschall
and head of the Royal House of Württemberg
. He was a great-great grandson of Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg.
as the eldest child of Duke Philipp of Württemberg and his wife Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria, daughter of Archduke Albert, Duke of Teschen
.
, Duke Albrecht commanded the German 4th Army and led them to victory in the Battle of the Ardennes
in August 1914. Following this victory, the 4th Army saw action in the First Battle of the Marne
before being transferred to Flanders
in October, where Duke Albrecht commanded them during the Battle of the Yser
. Duke Albrecht also commanded the German forces during the Second Battle of Ypres
, where poison gas was used on a large scale for the first time.
Duke Albrecht was awarded the Pour le Mérite
in August 1915 and was promoted to Generalfeldmarschall
in August 1916. The newly formed Army Group Albrecht was placed under his commanded in February 1917 and he was responsible for the southern sector of the Western Front
until the Armistice
.
to the Kingdom of Württemberg
following the death of his father in October 1917, but, following the German Empire
's World War I defeat and the abdication of his cousin King William II
following the German Revolution
, he never succeeded to the throne. He became head of the House of Württemberg
on the death of William II on October 2, 1921.
Duke Albrecht died at Altshausen
Castle on October 29, 1939. His son Duke Philipp Albrecht
succeeded him as head of the House of Württemberg.
Duke Albrecht was married in Vienna
on 24 January 1893 to Archduchess Margarete Sophie of Austria
, a daughter of Archduke Carl Ludwig. They had six children:
Generalfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
and head of the Royal House of Württemberg
House of Württemberg
The Württemberg family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Württemberg. The House has its origins, according to recent research, probably in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty.-History:...
. He was a great-great grandson of Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg.
Early life
Duke Albrecht was born in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
as the eldest child of Duke Philipp of Württemberg and his wife Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria, daughter of Archduke Albert, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Albert, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Albrecht Friedrich Rudolf Dominik of Austria, Duke of Teschen was an Austrian Habsburg general. Inspector General for 36 years, he was honored with the rank of Field Marshal in the armies of Austria-Hungary and Germany .-Early life:He was the eldest son of Archduke Charles of Austria,...
.
World War I
At the start of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Duke Albrecht commanded the German 4th Army and led them to victory in the Battle of the Ardennes
Battle of the Ardennes
The Battle of the Ardennes was one of the opening battles of World War I. It took place from August 21–23, 1914, part of the Battle of the Frontiers.-Background:...
in August 1914. Following this victory, the 4th Army saw action in the First Battle of the Marne
First Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Marne was a First World War battle fought between 5 and 12 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. The battle effectively ended the month long German offensive that opened the war and had...
before being transferred to Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
in October, where Duke Albrecht commanded them during the Battle of the Yser
Battle of the Yser
The Battle of the Yser secured part of the coastline of Belgium for the allies in the "Race to the Sea" after the first three months of World War I.-Strategic Context:As part of the execution of the Schlieffen Plan, Belgium had been invaded by Germany...
. Duke Albrecht also commanded the German forces during the Second Battle of Ypres
Second Battle of Ypres
The Second Battle of Ypres was the first time Germany used poison gas on a large scale on the Western Front in the First World War and the first time a former colonial force pushed back a major European power on European soil, which occurred in the battle of St...
, where poison gas was used on a large scale for the first time.
Duke Albrecht was awarded the Pour le Mérite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
in August 1915 and was promoted to Generalfeldmarschall
Generalfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
in August 1916. The newly formed Army Group Albrecht was placed under his commanded in February 1917 and he was responsible for the southern sector of the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
until the Armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
.
Post war
Duke Albrecht had become heir presumptiveHeir Presumptive
An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
to the Kingdom of Württemberg
Kingdom of Württemberg
The Kingdom of Württemberg was a state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which came into existence in 1495...
following the death of his father in October 1917, but, following the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
's World War I defeat and the abdication of his cousin King William II
William II of Württemberg
William II was the fourth King of Württemberg, from 6 October 1891 until the abolition of the kingdom on 30 November 1918...
following the German Revolution
German Revolution
The German Revolution was the politically-driven civil conflict in Germany at the end of World War I, which resulted in the replacement of Germany's imperial government with a republic...
, he never succeeded to the throne. He became head of the House of Württemberg
House of Württemberg
The Württemberg family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Württemberg. The House has its origins, according to recent research, probably in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty.-History:...
on the death of William II on October 2, 1921.
Duke Albrecht died at Altshausen
Altshausen
Altshausen is a small Swabian municipality near Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg, southern Germany.- Geography :Altshausen is situated in Upper Swabia, about 40 kilometers north of Lake Constance...
Castle on October 29, 1939. His son Duke Philipp Albrecht
Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg
Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg was the son of Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg and Archduchess Margarete Sophie of Austria...
succeeded him as head of the House of Württemberg.
Family
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
on 24 January 1893 to Archduchess Margarete Sophie of Austria
Archduchess Margarete Sophie of Austria
Archduchess Margarete Sophie Marie Annunciata Theresia Caroline Luise Josephe Johanna of Austria, full German name: Margarete Sophie Marie Annunciata Theresia Caroline Luise Josephe Johanna, Erzherzogin von Österreich was a member of...
, a daughter of Archduke Carl Ludwig. They had six children:
- Philipp Albrecht, Duke of WürttembergPhilipp Albrecht, Duke of WürttembergPhilipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg was the son of Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg and Archduchess Margarete Sophie of Austria...
(1893–1975). - Duke Albrecht Eugen of Württemberg (born 8 January 1895 in StuttgartStuttgartStuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
; died 24 June 1954 in Schwäbisch GmündSchwäbisch GmündSchwäbisch Gmünd is a town in the eastern part of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. With a population of around 62,000, the town is the second largest in the Ostalbkreis and the whole region of East Württemberg after Aalen...
), who married Princess Nadejda of Bulgaria (1899–1958), daughter of Tsar Ferdinand IFerdinand I of BulgariaFerdinand , born Ferdinand Maximilian Karl Leopold Maria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry, was the ruler of Bulgaria from 1887 to 1918, first as knyaz and later as tsar...
. They had five children. - Duke Carl Alexander of WürttembergDuke Carl Alexander of WürttembergCarl Alexander Herzog von Württemberg was a member of the House of Württemberg who became a Benedictine monk...
(born 12 March 1896 in StuttgartStuttgartStuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
; died 27 December 1964 in AltshausenAltshausenAltshausen is a small Swabian municipality near Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg, southern Germany.- Geography :Altshausen is situated in Upper Swabia, about 40 kilometers north of Lake Constance...
), known as "Father Odo". - Duchess Maria Amalia of Württemberg (born 15 August 1897 in GmundenGmundenGmunden is a town in Upper Austria, Austria in the district of Gmunden. It has 13,202 inhabitants . It is much frequented as a health and summer resort, and has a variety of goat, lake, brine, vegetable and pine-cone baths, a hydropathic establishment, inhalation chambers, whey cure, etc...
; died 13 August 1923 in AltshausenAltshausenAltshausen is a small Swabian municipality near Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg, southern Germany.- Geography :Altshausen is situated in Upper Swabia, about 40 kilometers north of Lake Constance...
), briefly engaged to Crown Prince George of SaxonyGeorg, Crown Prince of SaxonyGeorg, Crown Prince of Saxony, , the last Crown Prince of Saxony, was the heir to the King of Saxony, Frederick Augustus III, at the time of the monarchy's abolition on 13 November 1918.-Life:The prince was born on 15 January 1893 in Dresden, Saxony, Germany...
. - Duchess Maria Theresa of Württemberg (born 16 August 1898 in StuttgartStuttgartStuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
; died 26 March 1928 in EibingenEibingenEibingen, now a part of Rüdesheim am Rhein, Hessen, Germany is the location of Eibingen Abbey, the Benedictine monastery founded by Hildegard of Bingen in 1165 ....
). - Duchess Maria Elisabeth of Württemberg (born 12 September 1899 in PotsdamPotsdamPotsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
; died 15 April 1900 in Meran.) - Duchess Margarita Maria of Württemberg (born 4 January 1902 in StuttgartStuttgartStuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
; died 22 April 1945 in AltshausenAltshausenAltshausen is a small Swabian municipality near Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg, southern Germany.- Geography :Altshausen is situated in Upper Swabia, about 40 kilometers north of Lake Constance...
.)