Prince Leopold of Bavaria (Leopold Maximilian Joseph Maria Arnulf; 9 February 1846 – 28 September 1930) was born in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

, the son of Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria (1821–1912) and his wife

Archduchess Augusta of Austria Archduchess Auguste Ferdinande of Austria (1 April 1825 – 26 April 1864) was the only daughter of Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany and his first wife, Maria Anna of Saxony to survive to adulthood. She married Prince Luitpold of Bavaria, w ...

(1825–1864). He was a Field Marshal ('' Generalfeldmarschall'') who commanded German and Austro-Hungarian forces on the Eastern Front in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Biography

Military career

Prince Leopold entered the Bavarian Army at the age of 15, and received his patent as a lieutenant dated 28 November 1861. He saw first combat during the

Austro-Prussian War The Austro-Prussian War, also by many variant names such as Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), (; "German war of brothers") and by a variety of other names, was fought in 186 ...

in 1866, where he commanded an

artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to fac ...

Kissingen Bad Kissingen is a German spa town in the Bavarian region of Lower Franconia and seat of the district Bad Kissingen. Situated to the south of the Rhön Mountains on the Franconian Saale river, it is one of the health resorts, which be ...

and Rossbrunn. In 1870, King Ludwig II of Bavaria sent Leopold to the battlefields of France, where the Bavarian Army was fighting alongside the

Prussian Army The Royal Prussian Army (1701–1919, german: Königlich Preußische Armee) served as the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It became vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power. The Prussian Army had its roots in the co ...

in the Franco-Prussian War. He served with the 3rd Bavarian Artillery Regiment and saw action at Sedan and Beauvert. He was promoted to major in December 1870.Bavarian War Ministry, ''Militär-Handbuch des Königreichs Bayern'', 1914 For his bravery against the enemy he received both the

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia est ...

1st and 2nd Classes, the Bavarian Military Merit Order Knight 1st Class, the Knight's Cross of the

Military Order of Max Joseph The Military Order of Max Joseph (german: Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden) was the highest military order of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was founded on 1 January 1806 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, the first king of Bavaria. The order came in t ...

, Bavaria's highest military decoration, and decorations from several other German states. In the post-war years, Prince Leopold spent most of his time travelling, visiting Africa, Asia and countries of Europe. He was married on 20 April 1873 at

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

to his second cousin Archduchess Gisela of Austria, daughter of Emperor

Franz Joseph of Austria Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...

and the Empress

Elisabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sc ...

. From 1881 to 1887 Leopold was the commander of the

1st Royal Bavarian Division The 1st Royal Bavarian Division was a unit of the Royal Bavarian Army that served alongside the Prussian Army as part of the German Army (German Empire), Imperial German Army. The division was formed on November 27, 1815, as the Infantry Division ...

, from 1887 to 1892 of the I Royal Bavarian Corps. In both commands he would be succeeded by his younger brother, Prince Arnulf of Bavaria. In 1892 Leopold became the inspector general of the 4th Army Inspection, replacing

Leonhard Graf von Blumenthal Karl Konstantin Albrecht Leonhard Graf von Blumenthal (30 July 1810 – 21 December 1900) was an officer of the Prussian Army and field marshal of the Imperial German Army, chiefly remembered for his decisive intervention at the Battle of Königg ...

. After his appointment, the 4th Army Inspection gradually became consistent of Bavarian corps. He remained in the Bavarian Army and was finally promoted to the rank of

field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

('' Generalfeldmarschall'') on 1 January 1905. In 1911 he ordered a 6m racing yacht "Ralle II" from the great British yacht designer

Alfred Mylne Alfred Mylne (1872–1951) was a Scottish yacht designer, born in Glasgow. He founded A Mylne & Co. in 1896. Work Alfred Mylne was apprenticed to the Scottish shipbuilders Napier, Shanks and Bell, and went on to work as a draftsman and appr ...

, built at the Rambeck yard on Lake Starnberg. He retired from active duty in 1913 to give chances to

Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, Duke of Bavaria, Franconia and in Swabia, Count Palatine by (the) Rhine (''Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand''; English: ''Robert Maria Leopold Ferdinand''; 18 May 1869 – 2 August 1955), was the last hei ...

First World War

Prince Leopold's retirement, however, did not last long. On 16 April 1915, he was given command of the

German 9th Army The 9th Army (german: 9. Armee) was a World War II field army. It was activated on 15 May 1940 with General Johannes Blaskowitz in command. History 1940 The 9th Army first saw service along the Siegfried Line during its involvement in the invas ...

, replacing General

August von Mackensen Anton Ludwig Friedrich August von Mackensen (born Mackensen; 6 December 1849 – 8 November 1945), ennobled as "von Mackensen" in 1899, was a German field marshal. He commanded successfully during World War I of 1914–1918 and became one of the ...

. Leopold quickly proved himself an able commander as he took

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

on 4 August 1915. Following this success, he was put in command of

Army Group Prince Leopold of Bavaria The Army Group Prince Leopold of Bavaria (German: ''Heeresgruppe Prinz Leopold von Bayern'') was an Army Group of the German Army, which operated against Russia between 5 August 1915 and 15 December 1917 during World War I. It was renamed Army Group ...

(''Heeresgruppe Prinz Leopold von Bayern''), which was a German force in the central/northern sector of the Eastern Front. He was awarded the Grand Cross of the

on 5 August 1915, the prestigious ''

Pour le Mérite The ' (; , ) is an order of merit (german: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by Frederick the Great, King Frederick II of Prussia. The was awarded as both a military and civil honour and ranked, along with the Order of the Black Eagle, the Or ...

'', Prussia's highest military decoration, on 9 August 1915 and the oak leaves to the Pour le Mérite on 25 July 1917. Le prince Leopold de Bavière signe l'armistice

Le prince Leopold de Bavière signe l'armistice

On 29 August 1916, after the brutal summer campaigns succeeded in reversing the Brusilov Offensive against the Austrians, Leopold became the Supreme Commander of the German forces on the Eastern front ( ''Oberbefehlshaber Ost''), succeeding Field Marshal

Paul von Hindenburg Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (; abbreviated ; 2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German field marshal and statesman who led the Imperial German Army during World War I and later became President of Germany fro ...

. Leopold held this post for the rest of the war. Because of his position, Leopold was a potential German candidate for the throne of the puppet Kingdom of Poland. On 4 March 1918, Leopold received yet another high honor, the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross, awarded only five times during World War I. Prince Leopold retired again in 1918 after the signing of the

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (also known as the Treaty of Brest in Russia) was a separate peace, separate peace treaty signed on 3 March 1918 between Russian SFSR, Russia and the Central Powers (German Empire, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Kingdom of ...

, which had ended the war on the Eastern Front. This treaty was highly favorable to

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, and Leopold ended his career with success. He died on 28 September 1930 in

and is buried in the Colombarium in the Michaelskirche in

Military ranks

* Sekondlieutenant: 28 November 1861 * Premierlieutenant: 5 June 1864 * Hauptmann: 28 April 1867 *

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

: 11 December 1870 * Oberstleutnant: 27 March 1871 * Oberst: 18 February 1873 *

Generalmajor is the Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central and Northern European countries. Austria Belgium Denmark is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and Royal Danish Air Force. As a two-star ...

: 1 November 1875 * Generalleutnant: 16 June 1881 *

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

der Kavallerie: 2 March 1887 * Generaloberst: 9 February 1896 * Generalfeldmarschall: 1 January 1905

Family

Prince Leopold and his wife Gisela had four children: *

Princess Elisabeth Marie of Bavaria Princess Elisabeth Marie of Bavaria (german: Elisabeth Marie Auguste Prinzessin von Bayern; 8 January 1874 – 4 March 1957) was a member of the Bavarian Royal House of Wittelsbach Birth and family Elisabeth was born in Munich, Bavaria, the first ...

(1874–1957), who married Otto Ludwig Philipp Graf von Seefried auf Buttenheim *

Princess Auguste Maria of Bavaria Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...

(1875–1964), who married Archduke Joseph August of Austria * Prince Georg of Bavaria (1880–1943), married

Archduchess Isabella of Austria , house =Habsburg-Lorraine , father =Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen , mother =Princess Isabella of Croÿ , birth_date = , birth_place =Pressburg, Austria-Hungary , death_date ...

Prince Konrad of Bavaria Prince Konrad of Bavaria (german: Konrad Luitpold Franz Joseph Maria Prinz von Bayern; 22 November 1883 – 6 September 1969) was a member of the Bavarian Royal House of Wittelsbach. Early life Konrad was born in Munich, Bavaria. He was the ...

(1883–1969), who married

Princess Bona Margherita of Savoy-Genoa , house = House of Savoy-Genoa (by birth) House of Wittelsbach (by marriage) , father = Prince Tommaso, Duke of Genoa , mother = Princess Isabella of Bavaria , birth_date = , birth_place = Castle d'Agliè, Piedmont , d ...

Greek succession

Leopold is also, according to the provisions of the

Greek Constitution of 1844 The first constitution of the Kingdom of Greece was the Greek Constitution of 1844. On 3 September 1843, the military garrison of Athens, with the help of citizens, rebelled and demanded from King Otto the concession of a Constitution. The ...

, the heir of the deposed King Otto of Greece. Due to the renunciation by his elder brother

Ludwig Ludwig may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ludwig (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Ludwig (surname), including a list of people * Ludwig Ahgren, or simply Ludwig, American YouTube live streamer and co ...

of all his rights to the

Greek succession The Kingdom of Greece was ruled by the House of Wittelsbach between 1832 and 1862 and by the House of Glücksburg from 1863 to 1924, temporarily abolished during the Second Hellenic Republic, and from 1935 to 1973, when it was once more abolish ...

and since the Greek Constitution forbade the sovereign to be ruler of another country (Ludwig became King of Bavaria), Leopold technically succeeded upon his brother's renunciation to the rights of the deposed Otto I, King of Greece. At Leopold's death his rights were inherited by his son

Georg Georg may refer to: * Georg (film), ''Georg'' (film), 1997 *Georg (musical), Estonian musical * Georg (given name) * Georg (surname) * , a Kriegsmarine coastal tanker See also

* George (disambiguation) {{disambiguation ...

Decorations and honors

;German decorations Other countries The orders above which were from Allied nations were awarded prior to World War I.Decorations as of 1914 from the Bavarian War Ministry, ''Militär-Handbuch des Königreichs Bayern'', 1914. World War I decorations from award rolls, Erhard Roth, ''Verleihungen von militärischen Orden und Ehrenzeichen des Königreichs Bayern im Ersten Weltkrieg'', 1997 (), and Ferry W. von Péter, ''Verleihungen nichtbayerischer Orden und Ehrenzeichen an bayerischer Militärangehörige 1914-1918'', 2001 ()

Ancestry

Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Leopold Of Bavaria 1846 births 1930 deaths People of the Austro-Prussian War German military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War German Army generals of World War I Field marshals of Bavaria Field marshals of the German Empire Princes of Bavaria House of Wittelsbach Members of the Bavarian Reichsrat People from the Kingdom of Bavaria Treaty of Brest-Litovsk negotiators Recipients of the Iron Cross (1870) Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class Recipients of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class) Knights of the Golden Fleece of Austria Grand Crosses of the Military Order of Maria Theresa Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary Grand Crosses of the Military Order of Max Joseph Recipients of the Gold Imtiyaz Medal Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Takovo Recipients of the Military Merit Cross (Mecklenburg-Schwerin), 1st class Annulled Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Grand Crosses of the Military Merit Order (Bavaria) Recipients of the Military Merit Cross (Mecklenburg-Schwerin) Recipients of the Hanseatic Cross (Bremen) Recipients of the Hanseatic Cross (Lübeck) Burials at St. Michael's Church, Munich Military personnel from Munich