Person

William I, Elector of Hesse

1743–1821 · 18th century · Also known as William IX of Hesse-Kassel

William I, Elector of Hesse, ruled Hesse-Kassel as Landgrave William IX from 1785 and became an elector in 1803. His wealth came largely from hiring out soldiers to Britain. Napoleon drove him out in 1806 and gave his lands to the Kingdom of Westphalia, but he returned in 1813 and kept the electoral title after the Empire ended.

William I, Elector of Hesse
Image: Wilhelm Böttner · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Landgraviate of Hesse-KasselElectorate of Hesse

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). William I, Elector of Hesse. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/william-i-elector-of-hesse
MLA
“William I, Elector of Hesse.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/william-i-elector-of-hesse. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “William I, Elector of Hesse.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/william-i-elector-of-hesse.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘William I, Elector of Hesse’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/william-i-elector-of-hesse (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻