Prince Leopold of Bavaria

Prince Leopold of Bavaria

Prince Leopold of Bavaria (9 February 1846-28 September 1930) was born in Munich, the son of Luitpold of Bavaria (1821-1912) and his wife Augusta of Tuscany (1825-1864).

On 20 April 1873 at Vienna he married Gisela of Austria, daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria and the Empress Sissi.

Leopold was retired when World War I broke out but was given command of the German 9th Army in 1915. Leopold quickly proved himself an able commander as he took Warsaw on August 4, 1915. Leopold was then put in command of Army Group Leopold, which was a combined German-Austro force in the central sector of the Eastern Front. Leopold was then was made commander of all operations on the Eastern Front when Erich Ludendorff was reassigned to Berlin as Quartermaster General.

Leopold again retired in 1918 after the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which had ended the war on the Eastern Front. This treaty was highly favorable to Germany, and Leopold ended his career with success. He had achieved the rank of Field Marshal (Generalfeldmarschall) on August 1, 1916. He died at Munich in 1930.