Albert I (1875-1934), king of Belgium from 1909 to 1934, was a heroic military leader during World War I (1914-1918). As commander in chief of the Belgian army, he slowed the German advance to France in September 1914. Albert led Belgian and French troops in the final Allied assault in September 1918. After the war, he brought the leaders of Belgium’s political parties together to work on the reconstruction of their country.
Albert was born on April 8, 1875, in Brussels. He was the grandson of King Leopold I, the German prince elected king of Belgium in 1831. Albert married Elizabeth, Duchess of Bavaria, in 1900. He succeeded his uncle Leopold II in 1909. As king, Albert worked to secure equal voting rights for all Belgians. A noted sportsman, he died in a mountain climbing accident near Namur, Belgium, on Feb. 17, 1934. His eldest son succeeded him as Leopold III.
