Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria
Maximilian II (11 July 1662 – 26 February 1726), also known as Max Emanuel or Maximilian Emanuel,[1] was a Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire. He was also the last governor of the Spanish Netherlands and Duke of Luxembourg. An able soldier, his ambition led to conflicts that limited his ultimate dynastic achievements.[2]
Maximilian II Emanuel
26 May 1679 – 26 February 1726
Prince Eugene of Savoy as governor of the Austrian Netherlands
11 July 1662
Munich, Electorate of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire
26 February 1726 (aged 63)
Munich, Electorate of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire
He was born in Munich to Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria and Princess Henriette Adelaide of Savoy (d.1676). His maternal grandparents were Victor Amadeus I of Savoy and Christine of France, daughter of King Henry IV of France.
War against the Ottoman Empire[edit]
Maximilian inherited the elector's mantle while still a minor in 1679 and remained under his uncle Maximilian 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 the Ottoman Empire to extend their possessions further into Europe. He returned to court for long enough to marry Maria Antonia, daughter of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and Margaret Theresa of Spain, on 15 July 1685 in Vienna, 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 the capture of Belgrade from the Turks, with the full support of Serbian insurgents under the command of Jovan Monasterlija.[3][4][2]
Governor of the Spanish Netherlands[edit]
In the War of the Grand Alliance he again fought on the Habsburgs' side, protecting the Rhine frontier, and, being the Emperor's son-in-law and the husband of the King of Spain's niece, was appointed governor of the Spanish 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 to Theresa Kunegunda Sobieska, the death of whose father, the elected King of Poland John III Sobieski, two years later, offered a potential avenue of influence in Polish affairs.[6] Maximilian II was a candidate in the 1697 Polish–Lithuanian royal election, however, in view of the lack of strong support from other powers, the limited royal authority by the Sejm 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 in Western Europe, making his sons by Theresa Kunegunda Sobieska, Charles Albert and Clemens August, the principal beneficiaries of his ambitions.
The unsuccessful siege and bombardment of Brussels in 1695 during the Nine Years' War by French troops and the resulting fire during Max Emanuel's rule were together the most destructive event in the entire history of Brussels.[4][2]
First marriage with Maria Antonia of Austria, daughter of Emperor Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor:
Second marriage with Theresa Kunegunda Sobieska of Poland, daughter of King John III Sobieski:
He had an illegitimate child with his French mistress Agnes Françoise Louchier;