General Notes

Albert I, b. Apr. 8, 1875, d. Feb. 17, 1934, king of the Belgians (1909-34),
is remembered especially for his strong leadership during World War I. He
married (1900) Elizabeth, daughter of the duke of Bavaria, and succeeded
Leopold II, his uncle, to the Belgian throne in 1909. In August 1914, when the
German armies demanded right of passage through Belgium, Albert refused the
ultimatum and assumed personal command of the Belgian armed forces in
resisting the German advance. He remained in the small, unoccupied area of
Belgium throughout the war, and in September 1918 led Belgian and French
troops in the final Allied offensive.

After the war, Albert promoted the economic reconstruction of Belgium and
helped introduce (1926) a new monetary system. His death in a
mountain-climbing accident (1934) was deeply mourned. He was succeeded by his
son, Leopold III.