Kingdom of Saxony

The **Kingdom of Saxony** (), existed from 1806 until 1918.

From 1871 it was part of the German Empire, and after World War I it became part of the Weimar Republic. Its capital was the city of Dresden, and its modern successor state is the Free State of Saxony.

Before 1806 Saxony was the Electorate of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire.  This meant that the princes who ruled Saxony were prince-elector and could help elect a new Holy Roman Emperor.

When Emperor Francis II was defeated by Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz and the empire was dissolved  the electorate became an independent kingdom. The last elector of Saxony became King Frederick Augustus I.

After the Battle of Jena in 1806, Saxony joined the Confederation of the Rhine, and remained within the Confederation until it broke up in 1813 when Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Leipzig.

The Catholic ruler of Saxony was one of the few German leaders to support the French.  Saxony was put under Russian occupation and 40% of the Kingdom, including the historically significant Wittenberg, home of the Protestant Reformation, was taken by Prussia, but Frederick Augustus was allowed back to rule the remainder of his kingdom, which still included the major cities of Dresden and Leipzig.  The Kingdom also joined the German Confederation, the new organization of the German states to replace the Holy Roman Empire.

## The Austro-Prussian War and the German Empire

During the 1866 Austro-Prussian War, Saxony sided with Austria.  The Saxon army was the only large army to help Austria.  At the peace talks Austria said Saxony should not be punished.  The  other states in north Germany including the large Kingdom of Hanover were annexed (_taken over_) by Prussia after the war.  These states had promised help to Austria but did little, so Austria did not try to help them at the peace talks.

Saxony joined the Prussian-led North German Confederation the next year in 1867. When Prussia beat  France in the Franco-Prussian War of 1871, the Confederation was turned into the German Empire by Otto von Bismarck, with Wilhelm I as its Emperor.

John I, as Saxony's king, was below the Emperor, although he, like the other German princes, kept some of the rights of a sovereign ruler, including sending ambassadors  other states.

## The end of the kingdom

Wilhelm I's grandson Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated in 1918 after  Germany's defeat in the First World War. King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony followed him into abdication and the Kingdom of Saxony became the Free State of Saxony inside the newly-formed Weimar Republic.  The Kingdom of Saxony had lasted only 112 years.

## Related pages

- Saxony

## Infobox (former country)

- **native name**: _Königreich Sachsen_
- **conventional long name**: Kingdom of Saxony
- **common name**: Saxony
- **region**: Germany
- **country**: Germany
- **year start**: 1806
- **year end**: 1918
- **p1**: Electorate of Saxony
- **flag p1**: Flag of Saxony.svg
- **s1**: Saxony
- **flag s1**: Flag of Saxony.svg
- **image flag**: Flagge Königreich Sachsen (1815-1918).svg
- **image coat**: Coat of arms of Wettin House Albert Line.png
- **image map**: Saxony in the German Reich (1871).svg
- **image map caption**: Kingdom of Saxony within the German Empire
- **capital**: Dresden
- **national anthem**: _Sachsen Hymne_
- **government type**: Monarchy
- **title leader**: Rulers of Saxony#Kings of Saxony, King
- **leader1**: Frederick Augustus I of Saxony, Frederick Augustus I
- **year leader1**: 1806-1827
- **leader2**: Frederick Augustus III of Saxony, Frederick Augustus III
- **year leader2**: 1904-1918
- **stat year1**: 1910
- **stat area1**: 14993
- **stat pop1**: 4806661