The king decided to take personal command of the army, surrounded by his general staff and military advisers but without ministerial responsibility for the conduct of the war. Albert and his government refused to accede to the German demand, made on 2 August 1914, to march through Belgium in order to attack France. Historical research shows that during the war, Albert adopted a position in keeping with the status of Belgium, created in 1831 as a neutral state, and intended to help maintain the balance of power in Europe. Already during the war he was known – as seen in King Albert’s Book (Christmas 1914) – as the brave knight-king of "little Belgium", who would achieve undying military fame for himself and his army. For four years he held his ground in a small, unoccupied area behind the Yser River in the westernmost part of the country. Albert would, however, go down in history primarily for his leading role in 1914-1918 during the First World War.ĭuring the war, Albert assumed command of the Belgian army. As a constitutional monarch in a parliamentary democracy, Albert played the role of a mediator in the political problems of his day, among others the introduction of universal "one man one vote" suffrage, the language question, the economic crisis and the strengthening of national defence. He was married to Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of the Belgians (1876-1965), and had three children: Leopold III, King of the Belgians (1901-1983), Charles, Count of Flanders (1903-1983) and Maria José, Queen, consort of Humbert II, King of Italy (1906-2001).
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However, because Leopold II, King of the Belgians’ (1835-1909) only son as well as his brother and nephew (Albert’s father and brother, respectively) all died before King Leopold’s own death in 1909, Albert ascended to the throne. At his birth, no one expected that he would ever reign. Albert I, King of the Belgians (1875-1934) was the third king of the Belgians.