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

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, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

of the

Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg ( ) was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Electorate of Württemberg, which existed from 1803 to 1806. Geogr ...

, a German military commander of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, and the head of the

House of Württemberg The House of Württemberg is an uradel, ancient German nobility, German dynasty and former royal family of the Kingdom of Württemberg. History County The House probably originated in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty. Around 1080 the ancestors ...

from 1921 to his death.

Early life

Duke Albrecht was born in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

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

and the

German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...

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 third cousin of

Mary of Teck Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes; 26 May 186724 March 1953) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 6 May 1910 until 20 Janua ...

, 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 Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

World War I

When

began, Duke Albrecht's command, the Six Army Inspectorate (''Sechste Armee-Inspektion''), was formed into the 4th Army, 123

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

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

Ardennes The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...

, 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 w ...

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 supportin ...

. 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 or known in France as the Miracle on the Marne () was a battle of the First World War fought from the 5th to the 12th September 1914. The German army invaded France with a plan for winning the war in 40 days by oc ...

before being transferred to

Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-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 culture, la ...

in October, where Albrecht commanded them during the

Battle of the Yser The Battle of the Yser (, ) was a battle of the First World War that took place in October 1914 between the towns of Nieuwpoort, Belgium, Nieuwpoort and Diksmuide, along a stretch of the Yser River and the Yperlee Canal, in Belgium. The front ...

. 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. Albrecht was awarded the

Pour le Mérite The (; , ), also informally known as the ''Blue Max'' () after German WWI flying ace Max Immelmann, is an order of merit established in 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia. Separated into two classes, each with their own designs, the was ...

in August 1915 and promoted to

Generalfeldmarschall ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (; from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire, (''Reichsgeneralfeldmarsch ...

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 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 t ...

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 a person with a better claim to the position in question. This is in contrast to an heir app ...

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, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

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

after the death of Wilhelm on 2 October 1921. Albrecht died at Altshausen Castle. His son Duke Philipp Albrecht succeeded him as head of the House of Württemberg.

Family

Albrecht was married in

on 24 January 1893 to Archduchess Margarete Sophie of Austria,born 13 May 1870 in Artstetten Castle; died 24 August 1902 in

Gmunden Gmunden () is a town in Upper Austria, in the district of Gmunden (district), Gmunden. It has 13,204 inhabitants (estimates 2016 ). Geography Gmunden covers an area of and has a median elevation of . It is situated next to the lake Traunsee on t ...

. a daughter of Archduke Carl Ludwig. They had seven children: * Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg (1893–1975). * Duke Albrecht Eugen of Württemberg (born 8 January 1895 in

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

; 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 ...

), who married Princess Nadezhda of Bulgaria (1899–1958), daughter of Tsar Ferdinand I. They had five children. *

Duke Carl Alexander of Württemberg Carl Alexander Herzog von Württemberg (later Father Odo) (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 p ...

(born 12 March 1896 in

; died 27 December 1964 in Altshausen), a

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

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

; died 13 August 1923 in Altshausen), briefly engaged to Crown Prince George of Saxony. * Duchess Maria ''Theresa'' of Württemberg (born 16 August 1898 in

; died 26 March 1928 in Eibingen). * Duchess Maria ''Elisabeth'' of Württemberg (born 12 September 1899 in

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and largest city of the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the Havel, River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...

; died 15 April 1900 in

Meran Merano (, ; ) or Meran () is a (municipality) in South Tyrol, Northern Italy. Generally best known for its spa resorts, it is located within a basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to above sea level, at the entrance to the Passeier Va ...

). * Duchess Margarita Maria of Württemberg (born 4 January 1902 in

; died 22 April 1945 in Altshausen).

Decorations and awards

German States

Foreign States

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 the Kingdom of Württemberg 19th-century German landowners Knights of the Golden Fleece of Austria Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary 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) Military personnel from Vienna Heirs presumptive 20th-century German landowners