Editing Anthony, King of Saxony (section)

==King of Saxony==
[[File:Saxony 1831 Pewter Medal for the 1st Constitution, obverse.jpg|thumb|left|Medal of the introduction the Constitution of 1831. The obverse shows the conjoined heads of King Anthony and Co-Regent [[Frederick Augustus II of Saxony|Friedrich August]].]]
[[File:Saxony 1831 Pewter Medal for the 1st Constitution, reverse.jpg|thumb|Pewter Medal of the new constitution, reverse.]]
Anthony succeeded his brother Frederick August I as King of Saxony upon the latter's death, on 5 May 1827. The 71-year-old new king was completely inexperienced in government, and hence had no intention of initiating profound changes in foreign or domestic policy.

[[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussian]] diplomats discussed granting the [[Rhine Province|Prussian Rhineland]] (predominantly [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]]) to Anthony (a Catholic) in exchange for [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] Saxony in 1827, but nothing came of these talks.<ref name="Freitag">Freitag, p. 216</ref>

After the [[July Revolution]] of 1830 in France, disturbances in Saxony began in autumn. These were directed primarily against the old Constitution. Therefore, on 13 September the cabinet dismissed Count [[Detlev von Einsiedel]], followed by [[Bernhard von Lindenau]]. Because the people wished to have a younger regent, Anthony agreed to appoint his nephew Frederick Augustus Prince Co-Regent (de: ''Prinz-Mitregenten''). As another consequence of the disturbances, a new constitution was adopted in 1831 and came into effect on 4 September of that year. With it Saxony became a [[Constitutional monarchy]] and obtained a bi-cameral legislature and a responsible ministry, which replaced the old feudal estates.  The constitution was more conservative than other constitutions existing at this time in the German Union. Nevertheless, it remained in force in Saxony until 1918.<ref>James K. Pollock & Homer Thomas, ''Germany in Power and Eclipse'' D. Van Nostrand Co.: New York, 1952, p. 510.</ref> The king kept his exclusive sovereignty but was bound by the Government Business to cooperate with the Ministers and the decisions of both Chambers of the Estates (de: ''Kammern der Ständeversammlung'') meeting. The entry of Saxony into the ''[[Zollverein]]'' in 1833 let trade, industry and traffic blossom farther.

Without surviving male issue, Anthony was succeeded as king by his nephew, [[Frederick Augustus II of Saxony|Frederick Augustus II]].