| Maximilian II Emanuel | |
|---|---|
 Portrait byAndreas Møller,c. 1726 | |
| Elector of Bavaria | |
| Reign | 26 May 1679 – 26 February 1726 |
| Predecessor | Ferdinand Maria |
| Successor | Charles Albert |
| Duke of Luxembourg | |
| In office 1712 – 11 April 1713 | |
| Preceded by | Philip V |
| Succeeded by | Charles V |
| 29thGovernor of the Spanish Netherlands | |
| In office 1691 – 7 March 1714 | |
| Monarchs | |
| Preceded by | Francisco Antonio de Agurto |
| Succeeded by | Prince Eugene of Savoyas governor of the Austrian Netherlands |
| Born | (1662-07-11)11 July 1662 Munich,Electorate of Bavaria,Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | 26 February 1726(1726-02-26) (aged 63) Munich, Electorate of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire |
| Burial | |
| Spouses | |
| Issue Detail | |
| House | Wittelsbach |
| Father | Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria |
| Mother | Henriette Adelaide of Savoy |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Battles/wars | |
Maximilian II (11 July 1662 – 26 February 1726), also known asMax Emanuel orMaximilian Emanuel,[1] was aWittelsbach ruler ofBavaria and aprince-elector of theHoly Roman Empire. He was also the last governor of theSpanish Netherlands and Duke of Luxembourg. An able soldier, his ambition led to conflicts that limited his ultimate dynastic achievements.[2]
He was born inMunich toFerdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria andPrincess Henriette Adelaide of Savoy.
Maximilian inherited the elector's mantle while still a minor in 1679 and remained under his uncleMaximilian Philipp's regency until 1680. By 1683 he was already embarked on a military career, fighting in the defence of Vienna against the attempt of theOttoman Empire to extend their possessions further into Europe. He returned to court for long enough to marryMaria Antonia, daughter ofLeopold I, Holy Roman Emperor andMargaret Theresa of Spain, on 15 July 1685 inVienna, Austria. This marriage was very unhappy since the couple disliked each other, but it was successful in producing the desired heir for both Bavaria and the Spanish monarchy. Maximilian Emanuel's fame was assured when, in 1688, he led thecapture of Belgrade from the Turks, with the full support of Serbian insurgents under the command ofJovan Monasterlija.[3][4][2]
In theWar of the Grand Alliance he again fought on theHabsburgs' side, protecting the Rhine frontier, and, being the Emperor's son-in-law and the husband of the King of Spain's niece, was appointedgovernor of theSpanish Netherlands in late 1691.[5]
His Netherlands adventure catalyzed Maximilian Emanuel's dynastic ambitions. One year after his appointment as governor, Maria Antonia died in Vienna, having given birth to a son,Joseph Ferdinand, who was appointed heir to the Spanish monarchy but died in 1699 before acceding the throne. An alternative avenue for Maximilian Emanuel's ambition was offered by his marriage on 12 January 1694 toTheresa Kunegunda Sobieska, the death of whose father, the elected King of PolandJohn III Sobieski, two years later, offered a potential avenue of influence in Polish affairs.[6] Maximilian II was a candidate in the1697 Polish–Lithuanian royal election, however, in view of the lack of strong support from other powers, the limited royal authority by theSejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and his greater interest in assuming the Spanish throne, he did not make a serious effort for the Polish crown.[7]
However, he concentrated his interests inWestern Europe, making his sons by Theresa Kunegunda Sobieska,Charles Albert andClemens August, the principal beneficiaries of his ambitions.
The unsuccessful siege andbombardment of Brussels in 1695 during theNine Years' War by French troops and the resulting fire during Max Emanuel's rule were together the most destructive event in the entire history ofBrussels.[4][2]
Maximilian Emanuel, who had married Archduchess Maria Antonia, the sole child of Emperor Leopold's Spanish marriage, was one of the more serious claimants to the Spanish inheritance ofCharles II of Spain, and the birth of his sonJoseph Ferdinand in October 1692 immediately created a new claimant to the Spanish throne. In October 1698,William III of England andLouis XIV of France concluded theFirst Partition Treaty, which gave the Spanish crown with the Indies to Joseph Ferdinand, theDuchy of Milan to Emperor Leopold's younger son ArchdukeCharles, and the rest of Spanish Italy to France. The unexpected death of Joseph Ferdinand four months later voided this plan and in theSecond Partition Treaty, the Bavarian portion of the inheritance was allotted to Archduke Charles.[8] By the outbreak of theWar of the Spanish Succession in 1701, Maximilian Emanuel, who had long-term imperial aspirations, had hoped that his governorship of the Spanish Netherlands might yet reap the reward of a share of the Spanish inheritance from either Leopold or, failing him, Louis XIV.[9] Allying himself with the French against Austria, his campaign againstTyrol in 1703 did not have success and his plans were then frustrated by the disastrous defeat at theBattle of Blenheim in 1704.
In 1704–05, following the evacuation of the Bavarian court to the Spanish Netherlands after the defeat at the Battle of Blenheim, Max Emanuel's consort apparently was in charge of the government in the Stewardship of Munich of the Electorate of Bavaria as Regent Princess. However, when Theresa Kunegunda had found love letters of the Countess of Arco, a mistress of Max Emanuel, she left Munich to see her mother in Venice. The army would not allow her to return. In the ensuing evacuation of his court to the Netherlands, Maximilian Emanuel's family became separated and his sons were held prisoners for several years in Austria, Clemens August being brought up byJesuits. Bavaria was partitioned between Austria andJohann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine. The harsh Austrian administration which managed to extract massive amounts of money and manpower from Bavaria led toa serious peasant uprising within a year.[10]
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Maximilian Emanuel was again forced to flee the Netherlands after theBattle of Ramillies on 23 May 1706 and found refuge at the French court inVersailles where his late sisterMaria Anna (1660–1690) had been theDauphine of France. In 1712, Luxemburg andNamur were ceded to Maximilian Emanuel by his French allies, a cession that was not definitive since France was only the occupant of what was still the Spanish Netherlands. The war between France and Austria finally ended in 1714 in theTreaty of Rastatt in which Louis XIV compelled Austria to implement the full restoration of his faithful ally Maximilian Emanuel, including the return of the Upper Palatinate. Maximilian Emanuel was to remain in possession of Luxemburg, Namur and Charleroi until he was restored.[11][4][12][2]
Back in Bavaria, Maximilian Emanuel focused on architecture projects to balance the failure of his political ambitions. It was bitter for him to witness the royal elevation of the German princesAugustus II the Strong (1697),Frederick I of Prussia (1701) andGeorge I of Hanover (1714) as well as of his cousinVictor Amadeus of Sicily (1713) while his own political dreams could not be realized.
Maximilian Emanuel then supported the Habsburgs in anew war against the Turks, contributing troops to theArmy of the Holy Roman Empire in (1717).
In 1724, he created a union of all lines of the Wittelsbach dynasty to increase the influence of his house. The Wittelsbach prince-electors Max Emanuel, his son Clemens August ofCologne,Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine andFranz Ludwig of Trier had at that time four votes at their disposal for the next imperial election. The crown of the Holy Roman Empire was sought for either Max Emanuel or his son Charles Albert. Already in 1722 Charles Albert had been married to the Habsburg ArchduchessMaria Amalia of Austria.
In 1726, Max Emanuel died of a stroke. He is buried in the crypt of theTheatinerkirche in Munich.[2]
During his entire reign Maximilian II Emanuel patronized the arts. As governor of the Spanish Netherlands he acquired numerousDutch andFlemish paintings for theWittelsbach collection.
The first half of Max Emanuel's reign was still dominated by his parents' Italian court artists, likeEnrico Zuccalli andGiovanni Antonio Viscardi. Between 1684 and 1688, Zuccalli built the Italian styleLustheim Palace for Max Emanuel and his first wife Maria Antonia, located on a central island. With the appointment ofJoseph Effner serving as chief architect of the court and the youngFrançois de Cuvilliés as his assistant, the French influence significantly increased and Max Emanuel's return in 1715 marked the origin of the era of BavarianRococo.[13][14]
TheNymphenburg Palace was enlarged, theDachau Palace redesigned, and the newSchleissheim Palace was finally completed (1726) during Max Emanuel's reign. These palaces were connected with a network of canals as Max Emanuel had become acquainted with in the Netherlands. Between 1715 and 1717, he had theBaroque styleFürstenried Palace built by Effner as a hunting lodge which was the extension and modification of an already existing noble mansion.[15][16]
First marriage withMaria Antonia of Austria, daughter of EmperorLeopold I, Holy Roman Emperor:
Second marriage withTheresa Kunegunda Sobieska of Poland, daughter of KingJohn III Sobieski:
He had an illegitimate child with his French mistressAgnes Françoise Louchier;
| Ancestors of Maximilian II Emanuel |
|---|
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Maximilian II Emanuel Born: 11 July 1662 Died: 26 February 1726 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Elector of Bavaria 1679–1726 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Duke of Luxembourg Marquis of Namur 1712–1713 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of the Spanish Netherlands 1692–1706 | Vacant British and Dutch military occupation Title next held by Prince Eugene of Savoyas governor of theAustrian Netherlands |
