Maximilian I Joseph

Maximilian I Joseph (27 May 1756 — 13 October 1825) was a Duke of Zweibrücken from 1795 to 1799, Prince-elector of Bavaria as Maximilian IV Joseph and King of Bavaria from 1806 to 1825. He was a member of a cadet branch of the House of Wittelsbach. He was the father of Ludwig I of Bavaria.

He founded a kingdom which lasted over a century.

Early Life

He was a son of Count Palatine Frederick Michael of Zweibrücken and Countess Palatine Maria Franziska of Sulzbach. He was born in Schwetzingen on 27 May 1756.

After his father died of testicular cancer in 1767, he was left without parental supervision (after her mother was banished after one of her son's father was an actor) and was taken care by his uncle Duke Christian IV of Zweibrücken. Christian settled him in the Hôtel des Deux-Ponts. He became Count of Rappoltstein in 1776 or 1778 and took service in 1777 as a colonel in the French Royal Army. He rose rapidly to the rank of major-general. From 1782 to 1789, he was stationed at Strasbourg. During his time at the University of Strasbourg, Klemens von Metternich, the future Austrian chancellor, was for some time accommodated by Prince Maximilian. By the  of the French Revolution, Maximilian exchanged the French for the Austrian service and took part in the opening campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars.

With the restoration of peace (1815), Maximilian reorganized his administration. He dismissed Montgelas (1817) largely on the insistence of his son, the future Ludwig I., at the Encyclopædia Brittanica

Descendants

For descendants: Descendants of Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria

References