Duke William of Württemberg Duke William of Württemberg ( ; 20 July 1828 – 5 November 1896 ) was an Austrian and Württemberg General . Early life and family . Duke William was born at Carlsruhe , Kingdom of Prussia ( now Pokój , Poland ) was the first child of Duke Eugen of Württemberg ( 1788 – 1857 ) , ( son of Duke Eugen of Württemberg , and Princess Louise of Stolberg - Gedern ) by his second marriage to Princess Helene of Hohenlohe - Langenburg ( 1807 – 1880 ) , ( daughter of Charles Louis , Prince of Hohenlohe - Langenburg and Countess Amalie of Solms - Baruth ) . William had three half - siblings by his father ' s previous marriage with Princess Mathilde of Waldeck and Pyrmont . He was the first member of the House of Württemberg to attended a public high school in Breslau . Military career . War service . After studying in Geneva , Bonn , he joined in 1848 as a Lieutenant in the Austrian Army ( Infantry Regiment Kaiser Franz Joseph No . 1 in Vienna ) . During the First Italian War of Independence ( 1848 – 1849 ) he was wounded several times . In recognition of his bravery , Field Marshal Joseph Radetzky von Radetz promoted him as Captain in the infantry regiment No . 45 . In 1853 he became Major , between 1857 and 1859 Colonel Lieutenant , and Colonel and commander of the infantry regiment No . 27 King of the Belgians . He fought also at the Second Italian War of Independence ( 1859 ) . At the Battle of Magenta , he impressed both his superiors , Major General Wilhelm Ramming and Field Marshal Lieutenant Eduard Clam - Gallas and his opponents . The French generals Gustave Lannes de Montebello and Pierre Louis Charles de Failly mentioned this a few weeks later in a meeting against the Field Marshal Lieutenant Prince of Hesse . In 1866 , he fought at the Austro - Prussian War , William , now Major General , his brigade assigned to the Northern Army and fought in the Battles of Königgrätz , Swiepwalde , Blumenau and Bratislava . After the campaign , he arrived with his brigade to Trieste , in 1869 commander 11th Infantry Division troops in Prague , on 24 October 1869 he was promoted to Lieutenant Field Marshal . At the Franco - Prussian War William fought on the German side against France , and in 1878 at the Russian - Turkish war . Bosnia and Herzegovina . In 1878 , during the Austro - Hungarian occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina , he fought ( again on the Austrian side ) at Rogelj and Jaice . Due to the excellent performances , Emperor Franz Joseph I appointed him Feldzeugmeister and commanding general of the 18th Army Corps . His task was to submit to the west and bring peace to Bosnia . In 1878 he was commissioned to organize Bosnia and Herzegovina militarily and politically . He served as Governor of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1878 to 1881 . He developed the military and economic interests to be taken into account plan , a large number of communication routes . The school system , especially the militarily organized Knabenpensionat in Sarajevo , developed in the short time , as well as all other branches of administration and justice . Later years . In 1883 William was the Commanding General of the XI . Corps in Lemberg . In 1889 he became commander of the 3rd Armeekorps in Graz . Army Corps in Graz . In 1891 he retired from the military because of the death of King Charles I of Württemberg and his successor William II had no son , William became the heir presumptive to the throne of Württemberg . William was Württemberg General of the Infantry À la suite of the " Grenadier Regiment " King Karl " ( 5 Wurttemberg ) No . 123 " and the Royal Colonel of the Prussian " Infantry Regiment of Herwarth Bittenfeld ( 1st Westphalian ) No . 13 " . As a member of the House of Württemberg , he was a member of the Estates of Württemberg . Death . William died unmarried . The consequences of war injuries and a car accident in Italy affected his health . He died during a vacation in Tyrol .