Alexander Joseph of Battenberg (5 April 1857 – 23 October 1893) was the first prince (
knyazKniaz’, knyaz or knez is a Slavic title found in most Slavic languages, denoting a royal nobility rank. It is usually translated into English as either Prince or less commonly as Duke....
) of modern
BulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...
, reigning from 29 April 1879 to 7 September 1886.
Alexander was the second son of
Prince Alexander of Hesse and by RhinePrince Alexander of Hesse GCB was the third son and fourth child of Louis II, Grand Duke of Hesse and Wilhelmina of Baden.-Questioned parentage:...
by the latter's
morganatic marriageA morganatic marriage is a type of marriage which can be contracted in certain countries, usually between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
with
Countess Julia von HaukePrincess Julia of Battenberg was the wife of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine , the mother of Alexander of Bulgaria, and ancestress to the current generations of the British and the Spanish royal families.-Life:Julia was...
. The Countess and her descendants gained the title of Princess of
Battenberg-Places:* Battenberg, Hesse, a town in Hesse, Germany* Battenberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany* Battenberg Mausoleum, mausoleum of Prince Alexander of Battenberg in Sofia, Bulgaria...
(derived from an old residence of the
Grand Dukes of HesseThe Grand Duchy of Hesse was a member state of the German Confederation from 1806, when the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was elevated to a Grand Duchy, until 1918, when all the German monarchies were overthrown...
) and the
styleA style of office, or honorific, is a legal, official, or recognized title, in other words a term which by tradition or law precedes a reference to a person who holds a post, or which is used to refer to the political office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal...
Durchlaucht ("
Serene HighnessSerene Highness is a style used today by the reigning families of Monaco and Liechtenstein...
") in 1858. Prince Alexander was a nephew of
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
's Tsar Alexander II, who had married a sister of Prince Alexander of Hesse; his mother, a daughter of Count Moritz von Hauke, had been
lady-in-waitingA lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a noble court, attending to a queen, a princess or other noblewoman. A lady-in-waiting is often a noblewoman of lower rank than the one she attends to, and is not considered a servant. Their duties varied from court to court...
to the
TsaritsaTsaritsa , formerly spelled czaritsa , is the title of a female autocratic ruler of Bulgaria or Russia, or the title of a Tsar's wife....
.
In his boyhood and early youth Alexander frequently visited
Saint PetersburgSaint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city's other names were Petrograd and Leningrad...
, and he accompanied his uncle, the Tsar, who was much attached to him, during the Bulgarian campaign of 1877.
Alexander Joseph of Battenberg (5 April 1857 – 23 October 1893) was the first prince (
knyazKniaz’, knyaz or knez is a Slavic title found in most Slavic languages, denoting a royal nobility rank. It is usually translated into English as either Prince or less commonly as Duke....
) of modern
BulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...
, reigning from 29 April 1879 to 7 September 1886.
Early life
Alexander was the second son of
Prince Alexander of Hesse and by RhinePrince Alexander of Hesse GCB was the third son and fourth child of Louis II, Grand Duke of Hesse and Wilhelmina of Baden.-Questioned parentage:...
by the latter's
morganatic marriageA morganatic marriage is a type of marriage which can be contracted in certain countries, usually between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
with
Countess Julia von HaukePrincess Julia of Battenberg was the wife of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine , the mother of Alexander of Bulgaria, and ancestress to the current generations of the British and the Spanish royal families.-Life:Julia was...
. The Countess and her descendants gained the title of Princess of
Battenberg-Places:* Battenberg, Hesse, a town in Hesse, Germany* Battenberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany* Battenberg Mausoleum, mausoleum of Prince Alexander of Battenberg in Sofia, Bulgaria...
(derived from an old residence of the
Grand Dukes of HesseThe Grand Duchy of Hesse was a member state of the German Confederation from 1806, when the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was elevated to a Grand Duchy, until 1918, when all the German monarchies were overthrown...
) and the
styleA style of office, or honorific, is a legal, official, or recognized title, in other words a term which by tradition or law precedes a reference to a person who holds a post, or which is used to refer to the political office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal...
Durchlaucht ("
Serene HighnessSerene Highness is a style used today by the reigning families of Monaco and Liechtenstein...
") in 1858. Prince Alexander was a nephew of
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
's Tsar Alexander II, who had married a sister of Prince Alexander of Hesse; his mother, a daughter of Count Moritz von Hauke, had been
lady-in-waitingA lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a noble court, attending to a queen, a princess or other noblewoman. A lady-in-waiting is often a noblewoman of lower rank than the one she attends to, and is not considered a servant. Their duties varied from court to court...
to the
TsaritsaTsaritsa , formerly spelled czaritsa , is the title of a female autocratic ruler of Bulgaria or Russia, or the title of a Tsar's wife....
.
Prince of Bulgaria
In his boyhood and early youth Alexander frequently visited
Saint PetersburgSaint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city's other names were Petrograd and Leningrad...
, and he accompanied his uncle, the Tsar, who was much attached to him, during the Bulgarian campaign of 1877. When, under the
Treaty of BerlinThe Treaty of Berlin was the final act of the Congress of Berlin , by which the United Kingdom, Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and the Ottoman Empire under Sultan Hamid revised the Treaty of San Stefano signed on March 3 of the same year. The most important task of the Congress was...
(1878), Bulgaria became an autonomous
principalityA principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince....
under the suzerainty of the
Ottoman EmpireThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
, the Tsar recommended his nephew to the Bulgarians as a candidate for the newly-created throne, and the
Grand National AssemblyThe National Assembly of Bulgaria is the unicameral parliament and body of the legislative of the Republic of Bulgaria.It was established in 1879 with the Bulgaria's constitution.-Ordinary National Assembly:...
unanimously elected Prince Alexander as Prince of Bulgaria (29 April 1879). At that time he held a commission as a lieutenant in the
PrussiaPrussia was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries this state had substantial influence on German and European history...
n life-guards at
PotsdamPotsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and is part of the Metropolitan area of Berlin/Brandenburg. It is situated on the River Havel, some 25 kilometres southwest of the centre of Berlin....
. Before proceeding to Bulgaria, Prince Alexander paid visits to the Tsar at
LivadiaLivadia can refer to:* Livadiya , a suburb of Yalta, Crimea, Ukraine, where the Livadia Palace is situated.* Livadiya, Primorsky Krai, a suburb of Nakhodka, Russia, near Mount Livadia* Livadeia , a city in Boeotia, Greece....
, to the courts of the great powers and to the
sultanSultan is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. Originally it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", or "rulership", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power"...
; a Russian warship then conveyed him to
VarnaVarna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and in Northern Bulgaria, third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, and 77th-largest in the European Union, with a population of 355,450 .Commonly referred to as the marine capital of Bulgaria, Varna is a...
, and after taking the
oathAn oath is either a promise or a statement of fact calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually God, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact...
to the
new constitutionThe Tarnovo Constitution was the first constitution of Bulgaria. It was adopted on 16 April 1879 by the Constituent National Assembly held in Veliko Tarnovo as part of the establishment of the Principality of Bulgaria....
at Turnovo (8 July 1879) he went to
SofiaSofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city by population in the European Union, with 1.4 million people living in the Capital Municipality...
. The people everywhere
en route greeted him with immense enthusiasm. (For the political history of Prince Alexander's reign, see
History of BulgariaThe history of Bulgaria as a separate country began in 681 AD. After Old Great Bulgaria disintegrating due to Khazar expansion from the east, one of the Bulgar leaders Asparuh crossed south of the Danube, into the territory of present-day Bulgaria, and defeated the armies of the Byzantine Empire...
.)
The new ruling prince had not had any previous training in governing, and a range of problems confronted him. He found himself caught between the official representatives of Russia, who wanted him to behave as a
roi fainéantRoi fainéant is a French language phrase meaning "do-nothing king". It is primarily used to refer to the later kings of the Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties, after they seemed to have lost their initial energy...
, and the Bulgarian politicians, who actively pursued their own quarrels with a violence that threatened the stability of Bulgaria.
After attempting to govern under these conditions for nearly two years, the prince, with the consent of the Russian tsar, Alexander assumed absolute power, having suspended the Constitution (9 May 1881). A specially convened assembly voted (13 July 1881) for suspension of the ultra-democratic constitution for a period of seven years. The experiment, however, proved unsuccessful; the monarchical coup infuriated Bulgarian Liberal and Radical politicians, and the real
powerPower is a measure of an entity's ability to control the environment around itself, including the behavior of other entities. The term authority is often used for power, perceived as legitimate by the social structure. Power can be seen as evil or unjust, but the exercise of power is accepted as...
passed to two Russian generals, Sobolev and Kaulbars, specially despatched from Saint Petersburg. The prince, after vainly endeavouring to obtain the recall of the generals, restored the constitution with the concurrence of all the Bulgarian political parties (19 September 1883). A serious breach with
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
followed, and the part which the prince subsequently played in encouraging the national aspirations of the Bulgarians widened that breach.
The revolution of
PlovdivPlovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia, with a population of 380,312. Known in ancient times as Philippoupolis, it is the administrative center of Plovdiv Province in southern Bulgaria and three municipalities and Bulgaria's Yuzhen tsentralen planning region , as well as the...
(18 September 1885), which brought about the union of
Eastern RumeliaEastern Rumelia or Eastern Roumelia was an autonomous province in the Ottoman Empire from 1878 to 1908, however it was under Bulgarian control from 1885, when it de facto annexed by the Principality of Bulgaria...
with Bulgaria, took place with Alexander's consent, and he at once assumed the government of the province. In the year which followed, the prince gave evidence of considerable military and diplomatic ability. He rallied the Bulgarian
armyAn army An army An army (from Latin armata "armed (things)" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based Military of a nation. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
, now deprived of its Russian officers, to resist the
SerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a country located in both Central and Southeastern Europe. Its territory covers the southern part of the Pannonian Plain and central part of the Balkans...
n invasion, and after a brilliant victory at Slivnitza (19 November) pursued
King Milan of SerbiaMilan Obrenović was a Serbian monarch reigning as Prince Milan IV of Serbia from 1868 to 1882 and King Milan I of Serbia from 1882 to 1889.-Early years:...
into Serbian territory as far as
PirotPirot is a town and municipality located in south-eastern Serbia. In 2002, the town had a total population of 40,678, while population of municipality was 63,791. The town is the administrative center of the Pirot District....
, which he captured (27 November). Although the intervention of Austria protected
SerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a country located in both Central and Southeastern Europe. Its territory covers the southern part of the Pannonian Plain and central part of the Balkans...
from the consequences of defeat, Prince Alexander's success sealed the union with Eastern Rumelia, and after long negotiations the
sultanSultan is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. Originally it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", or "rulership", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power"...
Abdul Hamid IIHis Imperial Majesty, The Sultan Abdülhamid II, Emperor of the Ottomans, Caliph of the Faithful, , was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire...
nominated the Prince of Bulgaria as governor-general of that province for five years (5 April 1886).
Loss of throne
This arrangement, however, cost Alexander much of his popularity in Bulgaria, while discontent prevailed among a number of his officers, who considered themselves slighted in the distribution of rewards at the close of the campaign. A military plot formed, and on the night of 20 August 1886 the conspirators seized the prince in the palace at
SofiaSofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city by population in the European Union, with 1.4 million people living in the Capital Municipality...
and compelled to sign his abdication; they then hurried him to the Danube at Rakhovo, transported him on his yacht to
ReniReni can refer to:* Guido Reni, Italian Baroque painter* Alan Wren, drummer for The Stone Roses* Reni, Ukraine, a city in southern Ukraine, near the confluence of Prut and Danube rivers* Reni,best name ever...
, and handed him over to the Russian authorities, who allowed him to proceed to
LembergLviv is a major city in western Ukraine.It is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically also for Ukraine’s neighbour Poland. The historic centre of Lviv with its old buildings and cobblestone roads has survived the Second World War and the Soviet presence...
. However, he soon returned to Bulgaria as a result of the success of the counter-revolution led by
Stefan StambolovStefan Nikolov Stambolov was a Bulgarian statesman, in his capacity as Prime Minister and Prince Regent of Bulgaria. He is considered one of the most important and popular "Founders of Modern Bulgaria" and is sometimes referred to as "the Bulgarian Bismarck".- Early years :Stambolov was born in...
, which overthrew the provisional government set up by the Russian party at Sofia. His position, however, had become untenable, partly as a result of an ill-considered telegram which he addressed to Tsar
Alexander III of RussiaAlexander III Alexandrovich reigned as Emperor of Russia from 13 March 1881 until his death in 1894.-Early life:...
on his return. The attitude of
BismarckOtto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck was a Prussian German statesman and aristocrat of the 19th century. As Ministerpräsident of Prussia from 1862–1890, he oversaw the unification of Germany. In 1867 he became Chancellor of the North German Confederation...
, who, in conjunction with the Russian and Austrian governments, forbade him to punish the leaders of the military conspiracy, also undermined Alexander's position. He therefore issued a manifesto resigning the throne, and left Bulgaria on 8 September 1886.
Last years
Alexander now retired into private life. A few years later he married
Johanna LoisingerJohanna Maria Louise Loisinger was the wife of Prince Alexander of Bulgaria. She was born on 18 April 1865 in Bratislava...
, an actress, and assumed the style of Count Hartenau (6 February 1889). There were a son and a daughter of this marriage. The last years of his life he spent principally at
GrazGraz , with a population of 291,574 as of 2009 , is the second-largest city in Austria after Vienna and the capital of the federal state of Styria....
, where he held a local command in the Austrian army, and where he died on 23 October 1893. His remains, brought to Sofia, received a public funeral there, and were buried in a
mausoleum erected to his memoryThe Memorial Tomb of Alexander I of Battenberg , better known as the Battenberg Mausoleum in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, is the mausoleum and final resting place of Prince Alexander I of Bulgaria , the first Head of State of modern Bulgaria.Commissioned to the...
.
Prince Alexander possessed much charm and amiability of manner; he was tall, dignified and strikingly handsome. Competent authorities have generally recognised his capabilities as a soldier. As a ruler he committed some errors, but his youth and inexperience and the extreme difficulty of his position account for much. He had some aptitude for diplomacy, and his intuitive insight and perception of character sometimes enabled him to outwit the crafty politicians who surrounded him. His principal fault remained a want of tenacity and resolution; his tendency to unguarded language undoubtedly increased the number of his enemies.
See:
- Drandar, Le Prince Alexandre de Battenberg en Bulgarie (Paris, 1884)
- Koch, Fürst Alexander von Bulgarien (Darmstadt, 1887)
- Matveyev, Bulgarien nach dem Berliner Congress (Petersburg, 1887)
- Bourchier, "Prince Alexander of Battenberg," in Fortnightly Review, January 1894.
Ancestors
Alexander's ancestors in three generations
| Alexander, Prince of Bulgaria |
Father:
Prince Alexander of Hesse and by RhinePrince Alexander of Hesse GCB was the third son and fourth child of Louis II, Grand Duke of Hesse and Wilhelmina of Baden.-Questioned parentage:...
|
Paternal Grandfather:
Louis II, Grand Duke of HesseLouis II was Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine from 1830 until his death. He was the son of Louis I, Grand Duke of Hesse....
|
Paternal Great-grandfather:
Louis I, Grand Duke of HesseLouis I, Grand Duke of Hesse was Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and later the first Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine....
|
Paternal Great-grandmother:
Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt |
Paternal Grandmother:
Wilhelmine of BadenWilhelmine of Baden was Grand Duchess of Hesse and the Rhine.She was the youngest daughter of Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Amalia of Hesse-Darmstadt...
|
Paternal Great-grandfather:
Margrave Charles Louis of Baden |
Paternal Great-grandmother:
Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-DarmstadtAmalie of Hesse-Darmstadt was the daughter of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Henriette Karoline of Palatine-Zweibrücken. Amalie married her first cousin, Karl Ludwig of Baden on July 15, 1775...
|
Mother:
Julia von HaukePrincess Julia of Battenberg was the wife of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine , the mother of Alexander of Bulgaria, and ancestress to the current generations of the British and the Spanish royal families.-Life:Julia was...
|
Maternal Grandfather:
John Maurice von HaukeCount Maurice Hauke was a professional soldier...
|
Maternal Great-grandfather:
Fryderyk Karol Hauke |
Maternal Great-grandmother:
Maria Salomea Schweppenhäuser |
Maternal Grandmother:
Sophie de la Fontaine |
Maternal Great-grandfather:
Franciszek la Fontaine |
Maternal Great-grandmother:
Maria Teresa Kornely |
External links