Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria
| Archduke Peter Ferdinand | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||
| Head of the House of Habsburg-Tuscany | |||||
| Reign | 1921 - 8 November 1948 | ||||
| Predecessor | Archduke Josef Ferdinand | ||||
| Successor | Archduke Gottfried | ||||
| Born |
12 May 1874 Salzburg, Austria-Hungary | ||||
| Died |
8 November 1948 (aged 74) St. Gilgen, Salzburg, Austria | ||||
| Spouse | Princess Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies | ||||
| Issue |
Archduke Gottfried Helena, Duchess of Württemberg Archduke Georg Rosa, Duchess of Württemberg | ||||
| |||||
| House | Habsburg-Lorraine | ||||
| Father | Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany | ||||
| Mother | Alice of Bourbon-Parma | ||||
Archduke Peter Ferdinand Salvator Karl Ludwig Maria Joseph Leopold Anton Rupert Pius Pancraz of Austria, Prince of Hungary and Bohemia, Prince of Tuscany[1][2]) (12 May 1874, Salzburg, Austria-Hungary[1][2] – 8 November 1948, St. Gilgen, Salzburg, Austria[1][2]) was an Austro-Hungarian Archduke and an Army Commander in the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I. He was also the titular Grand Duke of Tuscany from 2 May 1921 to 8 November 1948.
Family
Peter Ferdinand was the fourth child and third-eldest son of Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany and his wife Alice of Bourbon-Parma.[1][2] His two elder brothers married morganatically.
Life
Peter Ferdinand had a career in the army. In 1908 he was a Colonel, in 1911 Major General and on 23 April 1914 he was promoted to Feldmarschall-Leutnant. At the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, he was commander of the 25th Infantry Division, with which he fought against Russia in Galicia and southern Poland, as part of the Austro-Hungarian II Corps. General Moritz von Auffenberg later blamed Peter Ferdinand to have prevented by his actions the encirclement of the entire 5th Russian army during the Battle of Komarów. In June 1915, Peter Ferdinand was relieved of command and the 25th Division was taken over by Major General Joseph Poleschensky.
On April 17, 1917 he was reinstated and, as a General of the Infantry, put in command of an Army Corps on the Italian front. His Corps first defended the Ortler Range and then covered the flank of the 14th German Army during its advance in the Battle of Caporetto. On August 15, 1918 his Corps, now stationed in Trentino, was renamed to V Army Corps. From October 26, 1918, in the last days of the war, he commanded the 10th Army in Trento on behalf of Field Marshal Alexander von Krobatin.[3]
Marriage and issue
Peter Ferdinand married Princess Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, daughter of Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta and his wife Princess Antonietta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, on 8 November 1900 in Cannes, France.[1][2] Peter Ferdinand and Maria Cristina had four children:[1][2]
- Archduke Gottfried of Austria, Prince of Tuscany (14 March 1902 – 21 January 1984)
- ∞ Princess Dorothea of Bavaria, civilly on 2 August 1938, religiously on 3 August 1938 in Sárvár, Hungary
- Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (born 2 October 1939)
- Archduchess Alice of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (born 29 April 1941)
- Archduke Leopold Franz of Austria, Prince of Tuscany (born 25 October 1942)
- Archduchess Maria Antoinette of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (born 16 September 1950)
- Archduchess Helena of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (30 October 1903 – 8 September 1924)
- ∞ Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg on 24 October 1923 at Altshausen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Duchess Maria Christina of Württemberg (born 2 September 1924)
- Archduke Georg of Austria, Prince of Tuscany (22 August 1905 – 21 March 1952)
- ∞ Countess Marie Valerie of Waldburg-Zeil-Hohenems on 29 August 1936 at St. Gilgen, Salzburg, Austria
- Archduke Guntram of Austria, Prince of Tuscany (19 August 1937 – 21 April 1944)
- Archduke Radbot of Austria, Prince of Tuscany (born 23 September 1938)
- Archduchess Marie Christine of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (8 April 1941 – 4 January 1942)
- Archduchess Walburga of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (born 23 July 1942)
- Archduchess Verena of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (21 June 1944 – 5 January 1945)
- Archduke Johann of Austria, Prince of Tuscany (born and died 27 December 1946)
- Archduchess Katharina of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (born 24 April 1948)
- Archduchess Agnes of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (born 20 April 1950)
- Archduke Georg of Austria, Prince of Tuscany (born 28 August 1952)
- Archduchess Rosa of Austria, Princess of Tuscany 22 September 1906 – 17 September 1983)
- ∞ Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg on 1 August 1928 at Friedrichshafen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Duchess Helene of Württemberg (born 29 June 1929)
- Duke Ludwig Albrecht of Württemberg (born 23 October 1930)
- Duchess Elisabeth of Württemberg (born 2 February 1933)
- Duchess Maria Theresa of Württemberg (born 12 November 1934)
- Carl, Duke of Württemberg (born 1 August 1936)
- Duchess Maria Antonia of Württemberg (31 August 1937 – 12 November 2004)
Ancestry
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Darryl Lundy (10 May 2003). "Peter Ferdinand Erzherzog von Österreich". thePeerage.com. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Paul Theroff. "TUSCANY". Paul Theroff's Royal Genealogy Site. Archived from the original on 2009-04-25. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
- ↑ "Archduke Peter Ferdinand von Österreich-Toskana". Austrian Commanders.
| Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria Cadet branch of the House of Lorraine Born: 12 May 1874 Died: 8 November 1948 | ||
| Titles in pretence | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Archduke Josef Ferdinand |
— TITULAR — Grand Duke of Tuscany 2 May 1921 - 8 November 1948 Reason for succession failure: Italian Unification under the House of Savoy |
Succeeded by Archduke Gottfried |