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| Frederick Augustus III | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Frederick Augustus III (1914) | |||||
| King of Saxony | |||||
| Reign | 15 October 1904 – 13 November 1918 | ||||
| Predecessor | George | ||||
| Successor | Monarchy abolished | ||||
| Born | (1865-05-25)25 May 1865 Dresden,Kingdom of Saxony | ||||
| Died | 18 February 1932(1932-02-18) (aged 66) Sibyllenort, Landkreis Oels,Province of Lower Silesia,Free State of Prussia,Weimar Republic (present-day Szczodre,Lower Silesian Voivodeship,Poland) | ||||
| Burial | Katholische Hofkirche, Dresden | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | |||||
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| House | Wettin | ||||
| Father | George of Saxony | ||||
| Mother | Maria Anna of Portugal | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||
| Signature |  | ||||
Frederick Augustus III (German:Friedrich August III.; 25 May 1865 – 18 February 1932) was the lastKing ofSaxony (1904–1918). Born inDresden, Frederick Augustus was the eldest son ofKing George of Saxony and his wife,Maria Anna of Portugal.
Frederick Augustus served in theRoyal Saxon Army before becoming king, and later was promoted toGeneralfeldmarschall. Though well-loved by his subjects, he voluntarily abdicated as king on 13 November 1918, after the defeat of theGerman Empire inWorld War I. He died in hisSibyllenort Palace inLower Silesia (nowSzczodre in Poland) and was buried in Dresden.
Frederick Augustus entered theRoyal Saxon Army in 1877 as asecond lieutenant, despite being only twelve years old. Given his royal status, he advanced rapidly through the ranks. He served initially with the Royal Saxon1. (Leib-) Grenadier Regiment Nr. 100. He was promoted tofirst lieutenant in 1883,captain in 1887,major in 1889 andlieutenant colonel in 1891. By 1891, he was commander of the 1st Battalion ofSchützen (Füsilier)-Regiment Nr. 108. He was promoted to colonel on 22 September 1892 and took command of theSchützen (Füsilier)-Regiment Nr. 108 on the same day. On 20 September 1894, the 29-year-old prince was promoted toGeneralmajor and given command of the 1st Royal Saxon Infantry Brigade Nr. 45 (Saxon higher units usually bore two numbers: one their Saxon Army number and the other their number in the Prussian Army order of battle). On 22 May 1898, he was promoted toGeneralleutnant and given command of the1st Royal Saxon Infantry Division Nr. 23. He commanded this division until 26 August 1902, when he took command of theXII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps. He was promoted toGeneral der Infanterie one month later, on 24 September. He remained in command of the corps until October 1904, when he became king. His military career effectively ended with his accession to the throne, but he was promoted subsequently toGeneraloberst and then toGeneralfeldmarschall (on 9 September 1912).
Following his father's accession, he was in July 1902 appointedà la suite of the GermanMarine Infantry by EmperorWilhelm II during a visit toKiel.[1]
When theGerman Revolution of 1918 broke out in November, Frederick Augustus made no attempt to defend the Saxon monarchy. Knowing that it was futile to continue the war, he demurred when asked to quell a worker-sponsored uprising in the Altmarkt with troops still loyal to the king, and instead quietly leftDresden Castle through a side-gate toMoritzburg Castle.
While seeking refuge inGuteborn, he received news thatHermann Fleissner had proclaimed theFree State of Saxony on 10 November. Three days later, he signed hisabdication on a single sheet of paper that consisted of one sentence: "I renounce the throne". Frederick Augustus then relieved all Saxons of their oath of loyalty to the monarchy, calling for unity and urging the citizens to work towards the better good of the state, whereupon he withdrew toSibyllenort Palace, which he privately owned, nearBreslau.
Frederick Augustus marriedArchduchess Louise of Austria, inVienna on 21 November 1891. They were divorced in 1903 by the royal decree of the King after she ran away while pregnant with her last child. Luise's flight from Dresden was due to her father-in-law's threatening to have her interned in a mental asylum at theSonnenstein Castle for life. Her brother supported her in her wish to escape from Saxony. Emperor Franz-Josef of Austria-Hungary did not recognise the divorce.
They had seven children:
Their two eldest sons, Friedrich August and Friedrich Christian, were both born in 1893, but were not twins. Friedrich August was born in January, and Friedrich Christian was born in December.
Frederick Augustus was a popular monarch who was not particularly given to the formalities and luxuries of royalty. He often dressed in civilian clothes, was comfortable speaking in the vernacularUpper Saxon dialect, and was sometimes seen playingskat with his subjects in the pubs of Dresden. Several instances of his self-effacing sense of humour have been recorded.
Saxony:[5]
Baden:[8]
Bavaria:
Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of theSaxe-Ernestine House Order,1886[10]
Grand Duchy of Hesse: Grand Cross of theLudwig Order,13 May 1893[11]
Mecklenburg:Grand Cross of the Wendish Crown, with Crown in Ore[5]
Oldenburg: Grand Cross of theOrder of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig, with Collar[5]
Prussia:
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach:Grand Cross of the White Falcon,1886[13]
Schaumburg-Lippe: Cross of Honour of the House Order of Schaumburg-Lippe, 1st Class[5]
Württemberg:Grand Cross of the Württemberg Crown,1894[14]
Austria-Hungary:[15]
Belgium: Grand Cordon of theOrder of Leopold[5]
Bulgaria:Knight of Saints Cyril and Methodius, with Collar[16]
Greece:Grand Cross of the Redeemer[5]
Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion[16]
Ottoman Empire:Order of Osmanieh, 1st Class[5]
Portugal:[5]
Russia:[5]
Sweden:Knight of the Seraphim,12 March 1910[17]
Siam: Knight of theOrder of the Royal House of Chakri,24 August 1897[18]
Kingdom of Spain: Grand Cross of theOrder of Charles III, with Collar,18 March 1907[19]
Tuscan Grand Ducal Family:Grand Cross of St. Joseph[5]| Ancestors of Frederick Augustus III of Saxony |
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Frederick Augustus III of Saxony Born: 25 May 1865 Died: 18 February 1932 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by | King of Saxony 15 October 1904 – 13 November 1918 | Monarchy abolished |
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| Loss of title | — TITULAR — King of Saxony 13 November 1918 – 18 February 1932 | Succeeded by |
Heads of theHouse of Wettin since1918 | ||
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Final hereditary rulers of thestates of the German Empire | |
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