With the unification of Germany into the German Empire inthe kingdom became a federated state of the new empire and was second in size, power, and wealth only to the leading state, the Kingdom of Prussia. The crown continued to be held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom came to an end in InBavaria became a republic after the German Revolutionand the kingdom was thus succeeded by the current Free State of Bavaria.
On 30 Decemberthe Bavarian line of the Wittelsbachs became extinct, and the succession to the Electorate of Bavaria passed to Charles Theodorethe Elector Palatine. After a separation of four and a half centuries, the Electoral Palatinateto which the duchies of Jülich and Berg had been added, was thus reunited with Bavaria.
Inthe French Revolutionary Army overran the Palatinate; inthe French, under Moreauinvaded Bavaria itself, advanced to Munich—where they were received with joy by the long-suppressed Liberals—and laid siege to Ingolstadt.
Charles Theodore, who had done nothing to prevent the war or to resist the invasion, fled to Saxonyleaving a regency, the members of which signed a convention with Moreau, by which he granted an armistice in return for a heavy contribution 7 September Between the French and the Austrians, Bavaria was now in a bad situation.
Before the death of Charles Theodore 16 Februarythe Austrians had again occupied the country, in preparation for renewing the war with France. Though his own sympathies, and those of his all-powerful minister, Maximilian von Montgelaswere, if anything, French rather than Austrian, the state of the Bavarian finances, and the fact that the Bavarian troops were scattered and disorganized, placed him helpless in the hands of Austria; on 2 Decemberthe Bavarian arms were involved in the Austrian defeat at Hohenlindenand Moreau once more occupied Munich.
In view of the scarcely disguised ambitions and intrigues of the Austrian court, Montgelas now believed that the interests of Bavaria lay in a frank alliance with the French Republic ; he succeeded in overcoming the reluctance of Maximilian Joseph; and, on 24 August, a separate treaty of peace and alliance with France was signed at Paris.
The Peace of Pressburg allowed Maximilian to raise Bavaria to the status of a kingdom. Accordingly, Maximilian proclaimed himself king on 1 January The Duchy of Berg was ceded to Napoleon only in The new kingdom faced challenges from the outset of its creation, relying on the support of Napoleonic France.
The kingdom faced war with Austria in and from to lost territory to Württemberg and Italy. In Nyheter och Lokalt, all relics of serfdom were abolished. In the same year, Maximilian promulgated Bavaria's first written constitution. Over the next five years, it was amended numerous times in accordance with Paris' wishes.
During the French invasion of Russia in about 30, Bavarian soldiers were killed in action. With the Treaty of Ried of 8 October Bavaria left the Confederation of the Rhine and agreed to join the Sixth Coalition against Napoleon in exchange for a guarantee of her continued sovereign and independent status.
On 14 October, Bavaria made a formal declaration of war against Napoleonic France. With the Battle of Leipzig in October ended the German Campaign with the Coalition nations as the victors, in a complete failure for the French, although they achieved a minor victory when Nyheter och Lokalt army of Kingdom of Bavaria attempted to block the retreat of the French Grande Armée at Hanau.
With the defeat of Napoleon's France inBavaria lost the territories it had gained from Austria, but was compensated for some of its losses, receiving new territories such as the Grand Duchy of Würzburgthe Grand Duchy of Frankfurt and parts of the Grand Duchy of Hesse.
It was the second largest and second most powerful state south of the Mainbehind only Austria. In Germany as a whole, it ranked third behind Prussia and Austria. Between andthe leading minister Count Montgelas followed a strict policy of modernisation and laid the foundations of administrative structures that survived even the monarchy and are in their core valid until today.