Maximilian I Joseph

Maximilian I Joseph, as Elector of Bavaria, allied with Napoleon Bonaparte and was rewarded with the elevation of Bavaria to a kingdom on January 1, 1806. He became the first King of Bavaria, gaining significant territorial expansion and sovereignty.

Maximilian I Joseph joined the Confederation of the Rhine, a French client state, and provided troops for Napoleon's campaigns. This alliance brought territorial gains but also led to Bavarian involvement in the disastrous Russian campaign of 1812.

Maximilian I Joseph promulgated a constitution for Bavaria, establishing a centralized administrative system, religious tolerance, and legal equality. This reform modernized the state and laid the foundation for a constitutional monarchy.

After Napoleon's defeat at Leipzig, Maximilian I Joseph abandoned the French alliance and joined the Sixth Coalition. This decision preserved Bavaria's territorial gains and allowed it to participate in the Congress of Vienna as a sovereign state.