The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-10-19
FAMOUS RULER
DEATHS VICTIM
Ludwig Third Of Bavaria
Dies at savar. Castle,
Hungary

Third, former king Of Bavaria,
whose throne crumbled when the
German armies were defeated and
former Emperor William fled from
Germany, died last night at Savar
Castle in Hungary. His death
closed a most picturesque career.
Ludwig III, as King Of Bavaria,
was ruler OF a kingdom which next
to Prussia Is the largest state in
the German empire both in area
and population. When, in his 6sth
year, he assembled the throne on
November 8, 1913, he was the first
ulI-nedged king that this big south
German kingdom had known since
1886, for In the interim OF twenty
seven years the Bavarians had rec.
ognized as their nominal rulers two
insane sovereigns. the extravagant
palace, builder, Ludwig IT,, who
drowned himself, and his brother,
Kint Otto, known as Mad" Otto,
who was deposed because of his
mental infirmities.
Tho regency OF the BaTarian
, throne, from 1886 to 1912, had been
, III LAlp 4ltlhshr Va ( 4GAGc 4SAALpCAAs q
cousin OF the two insane monarchs,
and upon his death. in December,
1912, 1t passed to Ludwig III. A
movement was Immediately begun
to make this new regent tho actual
king in place OF the demented Otto
but IT was not until November 5. in
! the following year that Ludwig con-
sented to accept the crown. pro
vided a bill changing the constitu-
ton passed tho Bavarian diet. This
act was speedily passed, and Lud=
Wig, in pursuance of its provisions,
| uufurled his royal standard on the
ancient Wittelsbach Palace in
Munich, while the incompetent
Otto was placed In restraint The
transfer OF the throne met with gen-
oral approval
Ludwig (the German for Louis)
was born January &, 1s45, and WAS
| brought up from his infancy as heir
apparent to the throne OF Greece.
occupied for more than thirty years
by his fathers brother, King Otto.
He figured as Crown Prince OF
Greece until his father was de
| posed apd, Y lied from Athens on
/ fJ6ard h EnElish man.of-war in
1889. During this period the young
iBaynrian prince hpd oepplnR q mas
sfsttaIst sYeFyt thin GTesk mod deFtE
iSsI q. Rnpfsht having BEEN tlttqRpa
81 tie i'd Cd at 1ef. would come
i day eassum6 the Hell throne
III 1868 hetTnarTied tho Arch
duchess Maria Theresa Of Anstria-
Este who was Princess Royal Aof
Hungary and Bohemia, by whom f1e
later had nine children. She was
an ambitious and able woman who
Is said to have done much to bring
about the political conditions favor
able to iiis enforcement.
One thing the Bavarians were re-
ported to have hailed as favorable
I in their new King when Ludwig as
cended the throne was that he was
believed to be far less amenable to
Prusstan influence than his father,
the regent Buitpold, had been. At
| a banquet. in Moscow, when the
present Emperor Nicholas Of Rus
sia was crowned, It was remember
ed he had made q speech that was
! thought to define his disposition in
this matter. He had then declared
that the states of. tho German con-
federation were eual in every re-
spect to Prussia,-in fact that they
were allies, and not vassals.
It was only nine months after
King Ludwig had assumed the SOY.
ereiguty that the European war be-
gan: since when his success az a
ruler has been difficult to estimate
owing to the ol)acurity into which
the censorship and the domination
OF military affairs has thrown in.
formation from Germany. How
over, King Ludwig hnd been fea-
tured prominently, though briefly,
| IN connection with the war news.
His people. though credited with
widely different ideals from those
Of the Prussians, threw themselves,
under his sovereignty, into the war
with zeal and force equaled only by
the PrussIans themselves. The
King himself madc several visits
among his soldiers. on both the east
ern and western fronts, and was
| the recipient of several congratula1
tory messages from Emperor WI.
liam on the Bavarian successes, par.
ticularly IN connection with the fall
OF Warsaw on August 5, 1915.
It was the Kings brother, Prtnce
! Leopold, who commanded the VIC
torloua Bavarians on the occasion,
md the Kings eldest son, the
Crown Prince Rupprecht, also dis
tinguished himself In command on
! the German western front. 1t was
reported early in the war that King
Ludwig himself was in command
, OF an army In East Prussia for a
time, and during a visit to the bat.
tle,front in Alsace In the summer Of
1al5 he was reported. under French
fire; but the dispatches have not
Indicated anything particular in re-
gard to his Imp portauce as a mill
tary figure. except that heswas pop44
tlar among his people. His broth.
er, Prince Leopold, /, far overshado low
ed him in military honors.
However, It was reported In Sep,
tember, 1915, that Emperor William
had conferred ON King Ludwig the
baton 'of a BaysriRn Held Marshal.
Previously IL had been reported
that the BRyRrlan king had CON
ferred similar holors on the Empes
ror himself; an act which was said.
to have created q stir IN Prussia
because &c was generally asserted
that it was the Emp erpr alone who
had authority 10 appoint q Field.
Marahal. m Bavaria however, the
incident was said ITO have been