Albrecht, Duke and Crown Prince of Württemberg (Albrecht Maria Alexander Philipp Joseph; 23 December 1865 – 31 October 1939) was the last

Württemberger The Württemberger, Baden-Württemberger or Württemberg is a Warmblood horse breed originating in Germany. They are primarily riding horses, and are selectively bred for dressage and show jumping. Breed History The breed registry studbook wa ...

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the w ...

, a German military commander of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, and the head of the

House of Württemberg The House of Württemberg is a German dynasty and former royal family from Württemberg. History County The House probably originated in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty. Around 1080 the ancestors of modern Württemberg, which was then calle ...

from 1921 to his death.

Early life

Duke Albrecht was born in

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

as the eldest child of Duke Philipp of Württemberg and his wife Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria, daughter of Archduke Albert, Duke of Teschen. Albrecht entered the armies of the

Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg (german: Königreich Württemberg ) was a German state that existed from 1805 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which existe ...

and the

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

in 1883, rose quickly through its ranks, and became the heir apparent to the throne of Württemberg. In 1910, Albrecht attended the funeral of Edward VII. He was a second cousin once removed of

Mary of Teck Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes; 26 May 186724 March 1953) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 6 May 1910 until 20 January 1936 as the wife of King- ...

, who was the Queen consort of

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother ...

World War I

When

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

began, Duke Albrecht's VI Inspectorate Corps was formed into the 4th Army, 123

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions ...

s strong. As King William II had no sons, Albrecht was appointed the army's commander and assigned to the

Ardennes The Ardennes (french: Ardenne ; nl, Ardennen ; german: Ardennen; wa, Årdene ; lb, Ardennen ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Be ...

, with

Walther von Lüttwitz Walther Karl Friedrich Ernst Emil Freiherr von Lüttwitz (2 February 1859 – 20 September 1942) was a German general who fought in World War I. Lüttwitz is best known for being the driving force behind the Kapp–Lüttwitz Putsch of 1920 ...

serving as his

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

. This army he led to victory alongside Crown Prince Wilhelm's 5th Army at the Battle of the Ardennes in August 1914. Following that victory, the 4th Army saw action in the

First Battle of the Marne The First Battle of the Marne was a battle of the First World War fought from 5 to 12 September 1914. It was fought in a collection of skirmishes around the Marne River Valley. It resulted in an Entente victory against the German armies in the ...

before being transferred to

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

in October, where Albrecht commanded them during the

Battle of the Yser The Battle of the Yser (french: Bataille de l'Yser, nl, Slag om de IJzer) was a battle of the First World War that took place in October 1914 between the towns of Nieuwpoort and Diksmuide, along a stretch of the Yser River and the Yperlee ...

. Albrecht also commanded the German forces during the

Second Battle of Ypres During the First World War, the Second Battle of Ypres was fought from for control of the tactically important high ground to the east and south of the Flemish town of Ypres in western Belgium. The First Battle of Ypres had been fought the pr ...

, where poison gas was used on a large scale for the first time. Albrecht was awarded the

Pour le Mérite The ' (; , ) is an order of merit (german: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by 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 Order of the Red Eag ...

in August 1915 and promoted to

Generalfeldmarschall ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; en, general field marshal, field marshal general, or field marshal; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several ...

in August 1916. The new Army Group Duke Albrecht was placed under his command in February 1917, and he was responsible for the southern sector of the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers * Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a maj ...

until the

Armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the ...

Postwar

Albrecht had become

heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question. ...

to the

following the death of his father in October 1917, but the

's World War I defeat and the abdication of his cousin King Willhelm II of Württemberg following the

German Revolution German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

prevented him from ever succeeding to the throne. He became head of the

after the death of Wilhelm on October 2, 1921. Albrecht died at

Altshausen Altshausen is a small Swabian municipality with around 4,100 inhabitants, near the city of Ravensburg in Baden-Württemberg, in southern Germany. Geography Altshausen is situated in Upper Swabia, about 40 kilometers north of Lake Constance. N ...

Castle. His son Duke Philipp Albrecht succeeded him as head of the House of Württemberg.

Family

Albrecht was married in

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

on 24 January 1893 to Archduchess Margarete Sophie of Austria,born 13 May 1870 in

Artstetten Castle Artstetten Castle (german: Schloss Artstetten, ) is a château near the Wachau valley in Lower Austria, in the community of Artstetten-Pöbring. History Artstetten Castle was owned by a number of families over the centuries until it was purcha ...

; died 24 August 1902 in

Gmunden Gmunden () is a town in Upper Austria, Austria in the district of Gmunden. It has 13,204 inhabitants (estimates 2016 ). It is much frequented as a health and summer resort, and has a variety of lake, brine, vegetable and pine-cone baths, a hydrop ...

. a daughter of Archduke Carl Ludwig. They had seven children: * Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg (1893–1975). *

Duke Albrecht Eugen of Württemberg Princess Nadezhda of Bulgaria ( bg, Княгиня Надежда; born Nadezhda Klementine Maria Pia Majella (Надежда Клементина Мария Пия Мажелла)); german: Prinzessin Nadeshda von Bulgarien; 30 January 1899 &ndash ...

(born 8 January 1895 in

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the Sw ...

; died 24 June 1954 in

Schwäbisch Gmünd Schwäbisch Gmünd (, until 1934: Gmünd; Swabian: ''Gmẽẽd'' or ''Gmend'') is a city in the eastern part of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. With a population of around 60,000, the city is the second largest in the Ostalb district and ...

), who married

Princess Nadezhda of Bulgaria Princess Nadezhda of Bulgaria ( bg, Княгиня Надежда; born Nadezhda Klementine Maria Pia Majella (Надежда Клементина Мария Пия Мажелла)); german: Prinzessin Nadeshda von Bulgarien; 30 January 1899 &ndash ...

(1899–1958), daughter of Tsar Ferdinand I. They had five children. *

Duke Carl Alexander of Württemberg Carl Alexander Herzog von Württemberg (Father Odo OSB) (12 March 1896 – 27 December 1964) was a member of the House of Württemberg who became a Benedictine monk. During the Nazi and post-Nazi era, he provided aid to refugees, Jews, and pris ...

(born 12 March 1896 in

; died 27 December 1964 in

), a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monk known as "Father Odo". * Duchess Maria ''Amalia'' of Württemberg (born 15 August 1897 in

; died 13 August 1923 in

), briefly engaged to Crown Prince George of Saxony. * Duchess Maria ''Theresa'' of Württemberg (born 16 August 1898 in

; died 26 March 1928 in

Eibingen Eibingen, now a part of Rüdesheim am Rhein, Hesse, Germany is the location of Eibingen Abbey, the Benedictine monastery founded by Hildegard of Bingen in 1165 (replacing an Augustine foundation of 1148). Eibingen preserves the treasure of relics ...

). * Duchess Maria ''Elisabeth'' of Württemberg (born 12 September 1899 in

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of ...

; died 15 April 1900 in Meran). * Duchess Margarita Maria of Württemberg (born 4 January 1902 in

; died 22 April 1945 in

Decorations and awards

Ancestry

Notes

References

* * * *

External links

Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg

( 2009-10-25) {{DEFAULTSORT:Albrecht Of Wurttemberg, Duke 1865 births 1939 deaths Nobility from Vienna German Roman Catholics Dukes of Württemberg (titular) Members of the Württembergian Chamber of Lords German Army personnel of World War I Field marshals of the German Empire Pretenders to the throne of Württemberg Military personnel of Württemberg German landowners Knights of the Golden Fleece of Austria Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary Recipients of the Military Merit Cross (Mecklenburg-Schwerin), 1st class Grand Crosses of the Military Order of Max Joseph Annulled Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint-Charles Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)