Archduke Friedrich

Friedrich Maria Albrecht Wilhelm Karl, Archduke and Prince Imperial of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia, Duke of Teschen (In German: Erzherzog Friedrich Maria Albrecht Wilhelm Karl von Österreich-Toskana, Herzog von Teschen) - (4 June 1856 - ) is a member of the House of Hapsburg and the Supreme Commander of the Austro-Hungarian Army during the Weltkrieg.

Early life
Friedrich was born at the castle Gross-Seelowitz, near Brno in Moravia) the son of Karl Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and his wife Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria. Amongst his siblings were Queen Maria Theresia of Bavaria, Queen Maria Cristina of Spain, Archduke Charles Stephen of Austria, and Archduke Eugen of Austria.

When Friedrich's uncle Archduke Albert, Duke of Teschen died in 1895, he and his brothers each inherited large estates. Friedrich own properties at Ungarisch-Altenburg, Belleje, Saybusch, Seelowitz and Frýdek in Bohemia, and Pressburg.

Marriage
On 8 October 1878 Friedrich married at Château L'Hermitage in Belgium Princess Isabella of Croÿ (1856 - 1931), daughter of Rudolf, Duke of Croÿ, and his wife Princess Natalie of Ligne. They had nine children together.


 * Maria Christina, Archduchess of Austria-Teschen (1879-), married Prince Manuel of Salm-Salm
 * Maria Anna, Archduchess of Austria-Teschen (1882-), married Elias, Duke of Parma
 * Maria Henrietta, Archduchess of Austria-Teschen(1883-), married Prince Gottfried of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingfurst
 * Natalie Maria, Archduchess of Austria-Teschen (1884-1898)
 * Stephanie Maria Isabelle, Archduchess of Austria-Teschen (1886-1890)
 * Gabriele Maria Theresia, Archduchess of Austria-Teschen (1887-)
 * Isabella, Archduchess of Austria-Teschen (1887-), married Prince Georg of Bavaria
 * Maria Alice, Archduchess of Austria-Teschen (1893-), married Baron Friedrich Waldbott von Bassenheim
 * Albrecht Franz, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Teschen (1897-)

Military career
On 11 July 1914 Friedrich was appointed Supreme Commander of the Austro-Hungarian Army by Emperor Franz Joseph I; it was thought that he would not interfere with the operational and tactical talents of Franz Graf Conrad von Hötzendorf. He was promoted to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall on 8 December 1914. Friedrich remained Supreme Commander until February 1917 when Emperor Charles I decided to take the office himself.

Retirement and death
After the first Weltkrieg the government of Austria rewarded the Supreme Commander with substantial sums of gold and silver making him even more prosperous.