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FREDERICK AUGUSTUS I

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Originally appearing in Volume V11, Page 61 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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FREDERICK See also:AUGUSTUS I . (1750–1827), See also:king of See also:Saxony, son of the elector Frederick See also:Christian, was See also:born at See also:Dresden on the 23rd of See also:December 1750. He succeeded his See also:father under the guardianship of See also:Prince See also:Xavier in 1763, and was declared of See also:age in 1768. In the following See also:year (See also:January 17, 1769) he married Princess Maria Amelia, daughter of See also:Duke Frederick of See also:Zweibrucken, by whom he had only one See also:child, Princess See also:Augusta (born See also:June 21, 1782). One of his See also:chief aims was the reduction of taxes and imposts and of the See also:army. He was always extremely methodical and conscientious, and a See also:good example to all his officials, whence his surname " the Just." On See also:account of the claims of his See also:mother on the See also:inheritance of her See also:brother, the elector of See also:Bavaria, he sided with Frederick the See also:Great in the See also:short Bavarian See also:succession See also:war of 1778 against See also:Austria. At the See also:peace of See also:Teschen, which concluded the war, he received 6 million florins, which he employed partly in regaining those parts of his See also:kingdom which had been lost, and partly in favour of his relatives. In 1785 he joined the See also:league of See also:German princes (Deutsche?' Filrstenbund) formed by See also:Prussia, but without See also:prejudice to his See also:neutrality. Thus he remained neutral during the See also:quarrel between Austria and Prussia in 1790. In the following year he declined the See also:crown of See also:Poland. He refused to join the league against See also:France (See also:February 7, 1792), but when war was declared his See also:duty to the See also:Empire necessitated his taking See also:part in it. Even after the peace of See also:Basel (See also:April 5, 1795) he continued the war.

But when the See also:

French army, during the following year, advanced into the See also:heart of See also:Germany, he was compelled by See also:General See also:Jourdan to See also:retreat (See also:August 13, 1796). He maintained his neutrality during the war between France and Austria in 18o5, but in the following year he joined Prussia against France. After the disastrous See also:battle of See also:Jena he concluded a treaty of peace with See also:Napoleon at See also:Posen (December 1 r, 18o6), and, assuming the See also:title of king, he joined the See also:Confederation of the See also:Rhine. But he did not alter the constitution and See also:administration of his new kingdom. After the peace of See also:Tilsit (See also:July 9, 1807) he was created by Napoleon See also:grand-duke of See also:Warsaw, but his See also:sovereignty of Poland was little more than nominal. There was a See also:kind of friendship between Frederick Augustus and Napoleon. In 1809 Frederick Augustus fought with him against Austria. On several occasions (18o7, 1812, 1813) Napoleon was entertained at Dresden, and when, on his return from his disastrous See also:Russian See also:campaign, he passed through Saxony by Dresden (December 16, 1812), Frederick Augustus remained true to his friend and ally. It was only during April 1813 that he made overtures to Austria, but he soon afterwards returned to the See also:side of the French. He returned to Dresden on the loth of May and was See also:present at the terrible battle of August 26 and 27, in which Napoleon's army and his own were defeated. He See also:fell into the hands of the See also:Allies after their entry into See also:Leipzig on the 19th of See also:October 1813; and, although he regained his freedom after the See also:congress of See also:Vienna, he was compelled to give up the See also:northern part—three-fifths—of his kingdom to Prussia (May 21, 1814). He entered Dresden on the 7th of July, and was enthusiastically welcomed by his See also:people.

The See also:

remainder of his See also:life was spent in repairing the See also:damages caused by the See also:Napoleonic See also:wars, in developing the agricultural, commercial and See also:industrial resources of his kingdom, reforming the administration of See also:justice, establishing hospitals and other charitable institutions, encouraging See also:art and See also:science and promoting See also:education. He had a See also:special See also:interest in See also:botany, and originated the beautiful See also:park at See also:Pillnitz. His reign through-out was characterized by justice, probity, moderation and prudence. He died on the 5th of May 1827. See See also:Bottiger-Flathe, See also:History of Saxony, vol. iii. ; R. Freiherr von Friesen, Erinnerungen (2 vols., Dresden, 1881); F. F. See also:Graf von Beust, Aus drei-viertel Jahrhunderten (2 vols., 1887) ; Flathe, in Allg. deutsche Biogr. (J.

End of Article: FREDERICK AUGUSTUS I

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