Photograph of Wenzel Anton Graf Kaunitz.
Wenzel Anton Graf Kaunitz

Overview

Wenzel Anton Graf Kaunitz () (February 2, 1711June 27, 1794) was an Austrian statesman.

Kaunitz was born in Vienna to an old Bohemian noble family settled in Moravia. It was intended that Kaunitz should become a clergyman when he was a boy, but he soon decided otherwise and studied law instead. During his career, he was Austria's ambassador in Turin (1741), then minister in the Austrian Netherlands during the absence of its ruler Prince Charles of Lorraine, October 1744 to June 1746; he was virtually the head of government after the death of the governor, Archduchess Maria-Anna, sister of Maria Theresa in December 1744. The following the French advance forced his retreat with the governmewnt of the Austrian Netherlands, first to Anvers, then to Aachen, where Kaunitz represented Austria at the Congress of Aachen at the close of the War of the Austrian Succession (1748) and was ambassador at Versailles 1750-53, where he cooperated in laying the groundwork for the future Bourbon-Habsburg alliance.

Kaunitz's most important and extremely influential office was that of the chancellor of state and minister of foreign affairs, which he held 1753-92 and where he had Maria Theresa's full trust. Thanks in large part to him, Habsburg Austria entered a treaty (1756) with her old enemy France (and later Russia and Sweden) against the Kingdom of Prussia to win back Silesia, which Austria lost to Prussia during the Silesian Wars. Kaunitz founded the Austrian Council of State, the Staatsrat, 1761, oversawing the reorganization of the army under Daun and worked towards the goal of subjecting the church to the state. He followed the thoughts of the Age of Enlightenment and among his aims was also the better education of the commoners.

From 1764 Kaunitz was styled Reichsfürst von Kaunitz-Rietberg (Imperial Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg), his father having been Maximilian Ulrich von Kaunitz, and his mother having been Marie Ernestine von Ostfriesland-Rietberg.

Although Joseph II generally shared such ideas, his reforms moved too fast and too thoroughly for Kaunitz. whose influence grew less during Joseph's reign (1765–90), and even less when Joseph's brother Leopold II reigned; he resigned his office at the accession of Francis II. Kaunitz died in Vienna.

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That biography says:

...Eventually, Haugwitz’s Directorium was stripped of its military and financial functions and renamed the Bohemian and Austrian Court Chancellery. Most power now became centered in the Council of State headed by Wenzel Anton Graf Kaunitz. Kaunitz, a historic foe of Haugwitz, replaced him in instituting policies. However, Haugwitz’s policies would have an effect throughout the reign of Maria Theresa and later in the reign of Joseph II.

That biography says:

...Her importance was such that she was even approached in 1755 by Wenzel Anton Graf Kaunitz, a prominent Austrian diplomat, asking her to intervene in the negotiations which led to the 1756 Treaty of Versailles...
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