The investigation analyzes, based on a wide range of sources, an event that has mostly been perceived only as the economic crisis of 1816/17. In 1816, Bavaria experienced a catastrophic harvest failure. This led to a hunger crisis that affected large parts of society. Its scale is evident in demographic developments as well as in the increase of crime and religious fanaticism. The famine turned into a state crisis: local unrest highlighted the danger of disintegration in newly acquired Bavarian territories, and the army appeared unreliable. From 1817 onwards, fears of revolution increasingly dominated crisis management. This was directly shaped by the king following the fall of Montgelas, who adeptly portrayed himself as a benevolent father, thereby contributing to the stabilization of the system.