Kingdom of Württemberg

• 1. Rise of The Kingdom

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  Frederick III assumed the title of King Frederick I on the 1st of January 1806. He abrogated the constitution and united Old and New Württemberg under one crown. Subsequently, he placed church property under government control to fund his ambitions. The borders expanded significantly through mediatisation, a process that absorbed smaller territories into the kingdom. In 1806, Frederick joined the Confederation of the Rhine and received further territory with 160,000 inhabitants. Later, by the Peace of Vienna of October 1809, about 110,000 more people came under his rule. Of the 16,000 subjects who marched to Moscow during Napoleon's campaign, only a few hundred returned. After the Battle of Leipzig in October 1813, Frederick deserted the French emperor. By a treaty with Metternich at Fulda in November 1813, he secured confirmation of his royal title and recent territorial acquisitions. Meanwhile, his troops marched into France with the allies.

• 2. Constitutional Struggles

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  William I granted a new constitution in September 1819 after much discussion. This document remained in force until 1918 with subsequent modifications. The desire for greater political freedom did not entirely fade under this framework. After 1830, some transitory unrest occurred as citizens demanded more rights. A period of quiet set in and the condition of the kingdom improved. William's frugality helped to repair the country's shattered finances. The revolutionary movement of 1848 did leave Württemberg untouched though no violence took place there. William had to dismiss Johannes Schlayer and his other ministers. He appointed men with more liberal ideas who were proponents of a united Germany. William proclaimed a democratic constitution but dismissed the liberal ministers once the movement spent its force. In October 1849, Schlayer and his associates returned to power. In 1851, by interfering with popular electoral rights, the king succeeded in assembling a servile diet that surrendered privileges gained since 1848. Authorities restored the constitution of 1819 and power passed into bureaucratic hands.

• 3. War And Empire

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  Charles I succeeded his father William as king in July 1864. Almost at once he faced considerable difficulties regarding supremacy in Germany. In 1866, Württemberg took up arms on behalf of Austria in the Austro-Prussian War. Three weeks after the Battle of Königgrätz on the 3rd of July 1866, allies suffered a comprehensive defeat at the Battle of Tauberbischofsheim. The Prussians occupied northern Württemberg and negotiated peace in August 1866. Württemberg paid an indemnity of 8,000,000 gulden to its conqueror. It concluded a secret offensive and defensive treaty with Prussia. The kingdom was a party to the 1864 Geneva Convention and the St Petersburg Declaration of 1868. When war broke out in 1870, the Army of Württemberg played a creditable part in the Battle of Wörth. In 1871, Württemberg became a member of the new German Empire. It retained control of its own post office, telegraphs, and railways. For the next 10 years, Württemberg enthusiastically supported the new order.

• 4. Economic Transformation

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  In 1910, there were 506,061 people working in agriculture across the kingdom. Another 432,114 had industrial occupations while 100,109 worked in trade and commerce. Textile manufacturers produced linen, woolen, and cotton fabrics particularly at Esslingen and Göppingen. Paper making was prominent in Ravensburg, Heilbronn, and throughout Lower Swabia. Assisted by the government, manufacturing industries developed rapidly during later years of the 19th century. Particular importance attached to iron and steel goods and locomotives for which Esslingen enjoyed good reputation. Gottlieb Daimler incorporated his business in 1900 as Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft near Stuttgart. At Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin constructed airships from 1897 until his death in 1917. The main minerals found were salt and iron though lack of coal slowed development. Hydropower and petrol largely compensated for this shortage. Liquid carbonic acid was produced from natural gas springs beside the Eyach river.

• 5. Social Fabric

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  The kingdom claimed universal literacy among citizens over age 10 years. Higher education institutions included the University of Tübingen and the Stuttgart University of Technology. Every commune had a primary school while numerous schools existed for women. About 69% of the population professed Protestantism around 1905. Roman Catholicism accounted for about 30% and Judaism about 0.5%. Protestants predominated in the Neckar district while Roman Catholics lived mainly in the Danube district. Settlement density concentrated in the Neckar valley from Esslingen northward. The overall rate of population increase from 1900 to 1905 amounted to 1.22% per year. About 8.5% of births were out of wedlock. People of the north-west represented Alemannic stock while those of the north-east were Franconian. The centre and south held Swabian populations. The Mohrenköpfle is the traditional swine imported from Central China in 1820/21 on orders of King William I.

• 6. End Of An Era

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  King Charles died suddenly on the 6th of October 1891 and was succeeded by his nephew William II. William abdicated on the 30th of November 1918 following Germany's defeat in the First World War. This act ended a dynasty that had lasted 837 years. The kingdom was replaced with the Free People's State of Württemberg. After World War II, Württemberg divided between American and French occupation zones. It became part of two new states: Württemberg-Baden and Württemberg-Hohenzollern. These merged with South Baden in 1952 to form modern Baden-Württemberg within the Federal Republic of Germany. Between 1900 and 1910 political history centred on constitutional questions. The constitution revised in 1906 introduced proportional election before any other German state. The result showed Liberal parties equally strong against Catholic Centre and Conservatives. Social Democrats held the balance of power until the Weizsäcker Ministry resigned in October 1918.