Alfred was born in Brussels, then capital of the Austrian Netherlands, the son of Count Joseph Nicholas of Windischgrätz (1744–1802) and his second wife, Duchess Maria Leopoldine Franziska of Arenberg (1751–1812).

[citation needed] Eight years later, during the initial uprisings of the Vienna revolution he was temporarily granted military control of the army surrounding the city, and favoured subduing the revolting citizenry by force.

[citation needed] Nevertheless, the events of Vienna left a firm impression on the Prince, who witnessed first hand the consequences of being ill-prepared for a popular insurrection and made moves to take the necessary precautions within the city he was governing.

3 days later an even larger meeting consisting of many students and citizens gathered to demand the withdrawal of soldiers from their strategic positions and a request for 2000 muskets and 80,000 cartridges, and a single battery for personal use by the cities population.

At this time in the evening Windischgrätz's wife was killed within her own house, dying by a shot discharged from the upper windows of the hotel named "The Golden Angel", which was immediately opposite to the quarters of the general commandant.

A few moments after this event, Windischgrätz descended from his office into the streets and addressed the large crowd of citizens: "Gentlemen, if the object of this vile serenade is to insult me as an individual, because I belong to the aristocracy, then you should go before my own hotel, where, unmolested, you may gratify your desire; but if, in making the demonstration before this building, you design to cast contempt upon the military commander of the city, I warn you that I shall punish such an attempt by every means in my power.

[citation needed] Appointed to the chief command against the Hungarian revolutionaries under Lajos Kossuth, he gained some early successes and reoccupied Buda and Pest (January 1849), but by his slowness in pursuit he allowed the enemy to rally in superior numbers and to prevent an effective concentration of the Austrian forces.