Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria, a German state since the tenth century, became a member state of the German Confederation between 1815 and 1866 and was considered the second most important state in Imperial Germany after Prussia. Because of its size and special status, it was certainly atypical and not as representative of Prussian dominated Germany as were smaller states such as Saxony and Württemburg. Bavaria fought on Austria’s side in 1866, lost, and gave up a small enclave in Thuringia called Kaulsdorf, the Bezirksamt Gersfeld, the Landgerichtsbezirk Orb and an indemnity of 30 million guilders. After the 1866 war, Prussia, opposed the suggestion that the southern states should join the North German Confederation in order not to alarm France. However, there was an offensive and defensive alliance between Bavaria and Prussia. Bavaria no longer had “a need of France,” and in the War of 1870-71, the Bavarian army joined Prussia, under the command of the Prussian Crown Prince, against France.
The Bavarian parliamentary chambers ratified the incorporation treaty on 21 January 1871, and Bavaria became a state of the German Empire, though not without considerable opposition.
However, the kingdom reserved certain separate privileges (Sonderrechte) in respect to the administration of the army, the railways, the mail, and the excise duties on beer, the rights of domicile and the insurance of real estate. The King of Bavaria was the supreme head of the Bavarian army. Though Bavaria became an integral part of the new German Empire, it reserved a larger measure of sovereign independence than any of the other constituent states. Thus, retaining a separate diplomatic service, military administration, postal, telegraph and railway systems.
Bavaria had a military treaty with Prussia from 23 November 1870. Prior to that, there was a mutual defense alliance that placed the Bavarian army under the Prussian king during time of war. What made Bavaria significantly different than the other states was that Articles 61-68 of the North German Confederation Constitution did not apply to Bavaria. As these were the military clauses, Bavaria maintained significant independence in military matters. Section IX of the Imperial German Constitution specifically references the treaty.
Ludwig I reigned as King of Bavaria from 1825-1848. The celebration of his marriage to Therèse of Saxe-Hildburghausen was the first Oktoberfest. That union produced three daughters and four sons. Ludwig I was well-educated and enjoyed literature, both classical and modern so much that he visited with Johann Wolfang von Goethe. Bavaria enjoyed many successes during his time as king. He actively supported a Bavarian constitution and was considered a moderate. He supported Greece in its war for independence and even loaned money from his private resources. His second son, Otto, was elected King of Greece in 1832, but was forced to abdicate in 1862.
As with many royal figures, Ludwig had a string of lovers. Perhaps the most famous was his Irish-born mistress, Eliza Gilbert, known by her stage name Lola Montez. When they met, he was 60 years old and she just 25. He spent millions remodeling a house for her and even tried to make her a Countess, something the Council of Ministers refused to endorse. Rather than remaining discreet, Lola began demanding more and more from Ludwig, including favors for those who had sought her patronage. Allegedly, Edward VII once said to her, in a quarrel, “I’ve spent enough on you to build a battleship!” And she replied, “And you’ve spent enough IN me to float one!” She particularly abhorred Jesuits and the Catholic Church. When she convinced Ludwig to close the Catholic university, a riot ensued. Ludwig’s entire cabinet resigned, and she had to flee to Switzerland. Ludwig was forced to abdicate in 1848, but continued his love for her until he died. She died at age 40 in 1861, and it is said that her mother traveled to New York City, where Lola had been living, to see if she could perhaps acquire some of the jewels that Ludwig had given her. Maximilian, Ludwig’s oldest son, succeeded him.
Maximilian II was studious and well read. He admired Hans-Christian Andersen, who often visited him. His marriage to Marie Friederike Hedwig, daughter of Prince William of Prussia (the fourth and youngest son of Friederich Wilhelm II), produced two sons, Ludwig II (sometimes referred to as “Mad King Ludwig”) and Otto. Unfortunately, the frequent intermarriage on both sides of the family contributed to Otto’s insanity. He was not alone in his infirmity. Alexandra, Maximilian’s sister, was convinced that she had swallowed a glass piano, which was, of course, quite uncomfortable. She also was so obsessed with cleanliness that she would only wear white so that she could see any flecks of dirt.
Ludwig II, on the other hand, was withdrawn and often lived in an imaginary world where he built castles and other grand structures. When his father died in 1864, he was anything but ready to rule. Shortly after assuming power, he met Richard Wagner Ludwig installed him in a home close to him, but Ludwig’s advisors and subjects did not appreciate their close relationship. When Prussia and Austria moved toward war, Ludwig escaped to visit his friend Wagner.
When the time came to marry, Ludwig proposed to his cousin, Sophie, but his thoughts were with Wagner, so much so that Ludwig broke the engagement. Not long after, he began the 20-year construction of Neuschwanstein Castle, much of it inspired by Wagner’s operas, whose characters form the basis of much of the internal decoration. There is speculation that Ludwig was torn between his alleged homosexuality and the Catholic Church, of which he was a member.
In 1870, Bismarck suggested to Ludwig that he recommend King Wilhelm I to serve as Kaiser. This proposal was important from Bismarck’s perspective that the Kaiser should be “recommended” by one of the “princes,” rather than the Parliament. As an incentive, Bismarck also donated a large sum of money for Ludwig’s building projects. Realizing he would not be considered for Kaiser, Ludwig began construction on his second castle, Linderhof; the building of Herrenchiemsee followed that. This continued building frenzy left him bankrupt, as he had used personal funds, not those of Bavaria.
Prime Minister Lutz felt the time right for removing Ludwig from the throne. He met with Maximilian’s brother Prince Luitpold. Luitpold was concerned for the House of Wittelsbach and for the financial dealings with Ludwig’s creditors. Lutz then created a commission to determine Ludwig’s sanity with Dr. Gudden as chair. Gudden had been retained to provide psychiatric care for the royal family. Four doctors concurred that Ludwig’s behavior gave the impression of insanity, which was enough to remove him as king. Ludwig was imprisoned at Neuschwanstein and then moved to Berg. Late one afternoon, Ludwig asked to walk with Gudden on the grounds. Neither returned alive and both bodies were found in the lake under mysterious circumstances.
Otto became King of Bavaria upon his older brother’s death in 1886, but never truly ruled as King and was by some accounts not even aware that he had become King. Even as a child, he suffered hallucinations. Ludwig had confined Otto to Nymphenburg Palace when he was in his 20s. He often spent weeks not removing his boots and barking like a dog. In his 30s, he was officially declared insane (by the same doctor who later declared Ludwig insane) and was moved to Fürstenried, where he lived within padded walls and screamed at all hours of the day. But he was indeed king for 30 years. He died in 1916. Otto’s uncle, Prince Luitpold of Bavaria, served as Prince Regent for Otto until Luitpold’s death. Luitpold’s son Ludwig then became the next Prince Regent.
The constitution of Bavaria was amended on 4 November 1913 to include a clause specifying that if regency for reasons of incapacity lasted for ten years with no expectation that the king would ever be able to reign, the regent could proclaim the end of the regency and assume the crown himself. The following day, his cousin, Prince Regent Ludwig, deposed Otto and assumed the title Ludwig III. Otto was permitted to retain his title and honors, which he did until his death in 1916. Ludwig III reigned until the end of the Great War.
Bavaria had six votes in the Bundesrat and sent forty-eight deputies to the Reichstag. The Wittelsbach dynasty was the hereditary ruling family. The Kingdom was a hereditary constitutional monarchy and the Parliament had two chambers. The upper house of the Bavarian parliament (Kammer der Reichsräte) was composed of various royalty, bishops, and appointees. The lower house (Kammerder Abgeordneten) or chamber of representatives consisted of 159 deputies, based on a population split of the census of 1875. Voting was universally secret and direct.
The Prussian Kulturkampf increased the hostility toward Catholics, as did the 1870 Dogma of Papal Infallibility. Bavaria proclaimed a federal law that expelled the Jesuits on 6 September 1871, and it was extended to the Redemptorists in 1873. Bavarian Sonderrechte, founded on traditional racial and religious antagonism to the Prussians, continued, but was seen officially only in the limitation to display only the Bavarian flag on public buildings on the emperor’s birthday; a provision which was modified to allow the Bavarian and imperial flags to be hung side by side.
The population in 1914 was 7,100,000 of which 70 percent was Catholic. The kingdom was 75,780 km². The capital was Munich. Bavaria had its own army and army corps system. Soldiers were assigned to the Bavarian army corps numbers I through III. Similar to the other kingdoms of Saxony and Württemberg, there were two Bavarian infantry regiments garrisoned in Lorraine. However, due to the treaty of 1870, these were under control of the Bavarian II Corps in peacetime, rather than the corps area in which they were stationed. The Bavarian army formed a separate portion of the army of the German empire, with a separate administration. Bavarian regiments did not participate in the sequential numbering of the Prussian army. The regulations applicable to other sections of the whole German army were observed.