La Bataille d' Eggmuhl 1809

Württemburg Longest Napoleonic German Ally

Fought With French Before Ulm To Beyond Leipzig

Today the casual observer associates Württemberg with all the efficiency and success of a sleek Mercedes-Benz sedan or Porsche 911. Stuttgart, a robust and energetic city, is the capitol of the modern state of Baden-Württemberg, in the southwest of Europe’s powerful and wealthy German Federal Republic. Stuttgart is the cosmopolitan home of the Daimler-Benz AG (MB), Porsche AG, Bosch and Mahle, among other international corporate entities, and self-describes itself as " Das neue Herz Europas " ("The new Heart of Europe"). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuttgart Also, Stuttgart describes itself, "Where business meets the future.” However, Württemberg’s place in history at the time of the French Revolution was not at all a vivid reminder of where Württemberg is today. Going back to the Middle Ages, the Duchy of Württemberg was a successor state to the Swabians with close ties to the Franks in post-Roman times. However, the Duchy of Württemberg, crippled by the wars of religion for hundreds of years, was a series of disconnected territories on either side of the Rhine of no significance to the events of the revolution. The various French Revolutionary governments would consolidate Württemberg’s west-of the-Rhine territories into France proper. Württemberg had the good fortune of receiving several territories east of the Rhine to flesh out and make more substantial what was then still a duchy. In 1803, Württemberg becomes an Electorate. When Napoleon is crowned Emperor of the French in 1804, Württemberg’s Duke Friedrich II, switches sides to join Napoleon. The French and Württembergers would have a successful alliance over the next nine years. Württemberg, in a small role, contributed two brigades of about 3000 men in the 1805 campaign. Württemberg would twice have its realm expanded after French victories.

Württemberg Becomes a Kingdom

In 1805, Württemberg received several Austrian holdings in Swabia at the Treaty of Pressberg, which finalized the Austrian defeat at Austerlitz. More importantly, Württemberg won the right to become a kingdom and Duke Friedrich II became Württemberg’s first king in 1806 as Friedrich I.

The Württemberg mastermind behind this was Friedrich. He had piloted Württemberg through the stormy channels of diplomatic turbulence in the 1790’s and 1800’s. He understood which European superpower was going to master the fates, and then he would tie Württemberg to the winning side. Despite Friedrich’s equivalent of royal trash talk with the French emperor, the Württemberg king was able to gloss over Napoleon’s insulting words and greatly improve Württemberg’s position.

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