Ludwig III was the last king of Bavaria, reigning from 1913 to 1918. Initially he served in the Bavarian military as a lieutenant and going on to hold the rank of Oberleutnant during the Austro-Prussian War. He entered politics at the age of 18 becoming a member of the Bavarian Legislature and keen participant in politics, endorsing agricultural and voting reforms. Later in life he served as regent and de facto head of state from 1912 to 1913, ruling for his cousin, Otto. After the Bavarian parliament passed a law allowing him to do so, Ludwig deposed Otto and assumed the throne himself. He led Bavaria into World War I, and lost his throne along with the other rulers of the German states at the end of the war.