Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hochgeboren Friedrich Ferdinand Graf von Beust
Beust c. 1860
6th (and last) Chairman of the Ministers' Conference of the Austrian Empire
In office 7 February 1867 – 30 December 1867
Monarch	Francis Joseph I
Preceded by	Richard Graf von Belcredi
Succeeded by	Karl Fürst von Auersperg (for Cisleithania) Gyula Andrássy (for Transleithania)
1st Chairman of the Ministers' Council for Common Affairs of Austria-Hungary
In office 30 December 1867 – 8 November 1871
Monarch	Francis Joseph I
Preceded by	himself (for the Austrian Empire)
Succeeded by	Gyula Andrássy
Interior Minister of the Austrian Empire
In office 7 February 1867 – 7 March 1867
Monarch	Francis Joseph I
Preceded by	Richard Graf von Belcredi
Succeeded by	Eduard Graf von Taaffe
1st Foreign Minister of Austria-Hungary
In office 30 December 1866 – 8 November 1871
Monarch	Francis Joseph I
Preceded by	himself (as Foreign Minister of the Austrian Empire)
Succeeded by	Gyula Andrássy
9th Foreign Minister of the Austrian Empire
In office 30 October 1866 – 30 December 1866
Monarch	Francis Joseph I
Preceded by	Alexander Graf von Mensdorff-Pouilly
Succeeded by	himself (as Foreign Minister of Austria-Hungary)
Personal details
Born	(1809-01-13)13 January 1809 Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony
Died	24 October 1886(1886-10-24) (aged 77) Altenberg, Austria-Hungary
Spouse	Mathilde von Jordan
Children	Marie
Signature

Count Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust (German: Friedrich Ferdinand Graf von Beust; 13 January 1809 – 24 October 1886) was an important politician from Germany and Austria. He tried to create a common policy for the smaller German states. This was done to balance the power between the larger countries of Austria and Prussia. He was a strong opponent of Otto von Bismarck, another powerful politician of his time.

Early Life and Education

Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust was born in Dresden on January 13, 1809. At that time, Dresden was part of the Kingdom of Saxony. His family was noble and had a long history. His father worked for the Saxon royal court.

Beust studied at the University of Leipzig and the University of Göttingen. After finishing his studies, he started working for the government of Saxony.

Starting a Political Career

Beust began his career as a diplomat. This meant he represented Saxony in other countries. In 1836, he became a secretary at the Saxon embassy in Berlin. Later, he worked in Paris, Munich, and London.

In March 1848, he was called back to Dresden to become the foreign minister. However, a revolution broke out, so he wasn't appointed right away. In May, he became Saxony's representative in Berlin. Then, in February 1849, he was finally made the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs for Saxony. He held this important job until 1866.

During this time, he also served as Minister of Education and Public Worship from 1849 to 1853. In 1853, he became the Minister of Internal Affairs and was also appointed Minister-President. This made him the leading figure in the Saxon government.

Dealing with State Issues

Saxony's Challenges (1849–1866)

Beust played a key role in Saxony after the revolution of 1849. He was responsible for restoring order. He helped change the constitution in June 1850. He was known for being very firm in controlling any opposition to the government. This made him unpopular with some people, especially those who wanted more freedom.

His main focus became foreign affairs. He wanted to keep the smaller German states independent. He opposed Prussia's attempts to bring these states together under its control. In 1849-1850, he had to join Saxony with Prussia and Hanover in a "three kings' union." But he quickly found a way for Saxony to leave this union.

Beust supported Austria in the German Confederation. He believed smaller states should work together to balance the power of larger monarchies like Austria and Prussia. In 1863, he strongly supported the claim of Prince Augustenburg to Schleswig-Holstein. This region was a source of conflict between Denmark and German states.

He became a strong opponent of Otto von Bismarck, who was the leader of Prussia. Bismarck saw Beust as someone who wanted to keep the smaller states separate. This led to many disagreements between them. In 1866, when the Austro-Prussian War broke out, Beust supported Austria. He even went to Paris to ask Napoleon III for help. When peace talks began, he resigned because Bismarck refused to negotiate with him.

Leading Austria (1866–1871)

After Prussia won the war, Beust's political career in Germany seemed over. But then, Franz Joseph I, the Emperor of Austria, invited him to become Austria's foreign minister. This was a surprising choice because Beust was German and a Protestant, which was unusual for a top Austrian official.

Beust took on his new role with great energy. He worked to solve problems with Hungary. He helped create the Ausgleich (Compromise). This agreement created the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. It gave Hungary more control over its own affairs. Beust hoped this would strengthen Austria and allow it to challenge Prussia again. However, this didn't happen.

In 1867, Beust also served as the Austrian Minister-President. He helped bring back parliamentary government to Austria. He also worked on ending an agreement with the Pope that had limited Austria's development. In 1868, he became the Chancellor of the empire and was given the title of Count. He was the only person to hold the title of Chancellor between Metternich (1848) and Karl Renner (1918).

Beust managed Austria's foreign affairs well, especially in the Balkans and Crete. He kept Austria's position strong. He still had some anti-Prussian feelings. He had a good relationship with France and might have wanted another conflict with Bismarck. However, in 1867, he helped peacefully end the Luxembourg Crisis. In 1870, he openly supported France during the Franco-Prussian War.

After the war, he accepted Germany's new organization. He even started talking with Bismarck to improve relations between Austria-Hungary and Germany. They met in August 1871 to confirm their new understanding.

In 1871, Beust was dismissed from his position. The exact reason is not known.

Later Diplomatic Career

After leaving his top role in Austria, Beust became the Austrian ambassador to London. In 1878, he moved to Paris as ambassador. He retired from public life in 1882.

Death

Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust died at his home near Vienna on October 24, 1886. He had two sons who also became diplomats.

What People Thought of Beust

Beust was known for his charm and social skills. He enjoyed writing waltzes and poems. Some people, like Bismarck, thought he was too focused on his own importance. However, Beust showed courage during difficult times.

He was defeated in his German policy, but Bismarck had many advantages. In 1866, Saxony was the only small state ready for war. Beust was not just a strict leader. His actions in Saxony and Austria showed he supported progress. Some people criticized his Austrian policy, saying he gave too much power to Hungary. But he managed to achieve a difficult compromise that was probably the best possible solution at the time.

Writings

Beust wrote his own memories in a book called Aus drei Viertel-Jahrhunderten (which means "From three-quarters of a century"). He also wrote a shorter book called Erinnerungen zu Erinnerungen ("Memories on Memories") to respond to criticisms.

Famous Descendants

One of his famous descendants is Ole von Beust, born in 1955. He served as the First Mayor of Hamburg, Germany, from 2001 to 2010. He was also the President of the Bundesrat (a German legislative body) for a time.

Honours

Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust received many awards and honours from different countries. These included:

See Also

• 

  A robot, symbolizing learning for kids.
• In Spanish: Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust para niños
• List of Ministers-President of Austria
• List of foreign ministers of Austria-Hungary