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Hesse-Kassel (Hessen-Kassel in German) was a German principality that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1568 upon the death of Landgrave Philip I of Hesse. His eldest son Wilhelm IV inherited the northern half and the capital of Kassel. The other sons received Hesse-Marburg, Hesse-Rheinfels and Hesse-Darmstadt.
17th century-18th century
Hesse was a dynasty which descended from proto-protestant and protestant luminaries. Both Philip the Magnanimous (Haughty) and William V as well as Maurice married descendants of king George of Bohemia. From William VI onwards, mothers of the heads of Hessen-Kassel were always descended from William the Silent, the leader of the Dutch to independence on basis of Calvinism.
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel expanded in 1604 when Landgrave Maurice (Moritz) Henry inherited Hesse-Marburg from his childless uncle, William IV "the Wise" Henry (1532-1592).
During the Thirty Years' War, Calvinist Hesse-Kassel proved Sweden's most loyal German ally. Landgrave William V and, after his death in 1637, his widow Amelia of Hanau (a granddaughter of William the Silent) as regent supported the Protestant cause and the French and Swedes throughout the war and maintained an army, garrisoning many strongpoints, even while Hesse-Kassel itself was occupied by Imperial troops.
William VI followed William V. William VII succeeded William VI.
Under Frederick I of Sweden Hesse-Kassel was in personal union with Sweden from 1730 to 1751.
Although it was a fairly widespread practice at the time to rent out troops to other princes, it was the Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel who became infamous for hiring out contingents of their army as mercenaries during the 17th and 18th centuries. Frederick II, notably, hired out his troops (the "Hessians') to his nephew George III of Britain who used them to suppress the rebellion of the American colonies during the American Revolution, while Frederick used the revenue to finance his opulent lifestyle.
19th century
Following the reorganization of the German states during the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss (Principal Decree of the Imperial Deputation) of 1803, the markgraviate was raised to a principality and Landgrave Wilhelm IX was elevated to Imperial Elector (Kurfürst), taking the title Wilhelm I, Elector of Hesse. The principality thus became known as Kurhessen, although still usually referred to as Hesse-Kassel. In 1806, Wilhelm I was dispossessed by Napoleon for his support of Prussia, and Kassel became the capital of a new Kingdom of Westphalia under Napoleon's brother Jérôme. The Elector was restored following Napoleon's defeat in 1813, and although the Holy Roman Empire was now defunct, Wilhelm retained his title of Elector, as it gave him pre-eminence over his cousin, the Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt.
Wilhelm's grandson, Elector Friedrich Wilhelm, sided with Austria in the Austro-Prussian War, and after the Prussian victory his lands were annexed by Prussia, which combined it with Nassau and Frankfurt-am-Main, both also annexed, into the new Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau.
20th century
In 1918, Prince Friedrich Karl of Hesse-Kassel, younger brother of the head of the house and a brother-in-law of Kaiser Wilhelm II, was elected by the Finnish pro-German government to be King of Finland, but he never reigned.
In 1968, the head of the House of Hesse-Kassel became the Head of the entire House of Hesse due to the extinction of the Hesse-Darmstadt line.
Trivia
The village of Hessen Cassel, Indiana near Fort Wayne, founded by German immigrants, is named for the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel.
See also
External Links
House of Hesse-Kassel | States of the German Confederation | States of the Holy Roman Empire | 1568 establishments
Hessen-Kassel | Hessen-Kassel | Hessen-Kassel | Hessen-Kassel
"Hesse-Kassel"