Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
(1813-1871: Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach)
The Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, a German state in Thuringia since 1566, was a member state of the German Confederation from 1815 to 1866. The Saxe-Weimar family was the oldest branch of the Ernestine line, and therefore, the entire House of Saxony. It was the largest of the Thuringian states, and comprised the three detached districts of Weimar, Eisenach, and Neustadt, along with twenty-four scattered enclaves. In 1877, it officially changed its name to the Grand Duchy of Saxony (Großherzogtum Sachsen), but this name is rarely used in modern sources. In 1896, the order of the colors for the flag and the cockades was changed to black-yellow-green. Prior to that time, the color order was black-green-yellow. After the Austro-Prussian War, when it allied with Prussia, it became a member state of the North German Confederation in 1867. The Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach military became a contingent of the Prussian army on 26 June 1867. It became a member state of the German Empire in 1871.
Karl Alexander reigned as duke from 1853 until 1901. He was a close friend of Hans Christian Andersen until the Danish War in 1849. Throughout his reign, he supported the arts and was a protector of Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt. Wilhelm Ernst, his grandson, succeeded him, as his father had died previously. He was an interesting ruler, rumored to be a sadist, who was told, when he abdicated, that he was the most unpopular prince in Germany and had better run for it. His first wife died mysteriously in 1905. Natural causes and suicide were both rumored. He remarried and lived until 1923.
Wilhelm was in line for the Netherland’s throne as he was the grandson of Princess Sophie. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Dutch feared the possibility of German influence or even annexation of the Netherlands. In order to prevent this, some lawyers tried to change the constitution to exclude Wilhelm Ernst from the succession. Another proposal, however, was if Wilhelmina would die childless, then he or his offspring would have to choose between the Dutch or the Weimar throne. Queen Wilhelmia gave birth to a daughter, thus ensuring that the crown remained in the Netherlands.
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was a hereditary constitutional monarchy. The parliament consisted of one chamber known as the Landtag with thirty-eight members. There was a four-tier voting system with five members chosen by the largest landholders, five by high-paying taxpayers, five by the University of Jena, and twenty-three by the rest of the inhabitants. The franchise was rather more liberal than some and included all male citizens over twenty-one-years of age. The Grand Duchy was represented by one vote in the Bundesrat and by two members in the Reichstag.
The population in 1914 was 442,000 who almost entirely were Lutherans. The capital was Weimar. The total area of the grand duchy was 3,609,000 km². The soldiers were gathered into the Infanterie-Regiment Großherzog v. Sachsen (5.Thuringisches) Nr. 94.