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Friedrich Augustus Albert
König
von Sachsen K.H.
(23.04.1828 - 19.06.1902)
place of birth: Dresden, Sachsen
Königreich
Sachsen: Seine
Majestät der König,
Generalfeldmarschall
Albert was the eldest son of Prince John,
who succeeded to the throne as King John of Saxony in 1854. He served
as a captain in the campaign of Schleswig-Holstein
against the Danish, and then took command of the Saxon forces opposing
the Prussian army of Prince Frederick Charles during the Austro-
Prussian War of 1866. During the decisive Battle of Königgrätz,
the Crown Prince's forces held the extreme left of the Austrian
position.
During these operations, the Crown Prince won
the reputation of a thorough soldier. After peace was made and Saxony
had entered the North German Confederation, he took command of the
Saxon army, which had now become the XII Army Corps of the North German
army, proving himself a firm adherent of the Prussian alliance. At the
outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, he again commanded the
Saxons, who were subordinate to the 2nd Army commanded by Prince
Friedrich Karl Charles of Prussia, his old opponent. At the Battle of Gravelotte
they formed the extreme left of the German army, and with the Prussian
Guard carried out the attack on St Privat, the
final and decisive action in the battle.
In the reorganization of the army which
accompanied the march towards Paris, the Crown Prince gained a separate
command over the 4th Army (Army of the Meuse)
consisting of the Saxons, the Prussian Guard Corps and the IV.
(Prussian Saxony) Army Corps. He was succeeded in command of XII. Army
Corps by his brother Prince Georg, who had served under him in Bohemia.
Albert also led troops during the engagements at Sedan
and Beaumont, as well as during the siege of Paris
itself. After the war, he was left in command of the German Army of
Occupation and was later promoted to field marshal and Inspector
General of the Army (July 1871).
When his father King John died in 1873, Albert
succeeded to the throne as King Albert. His reign proved uneventful,
and he took little public part in politics. He devoted himself rather
to military affairs, in which his advice and experience were of the
greatest value, not only to the Saxon corps but to the German Army in
general.
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