List of heads of government under Austrian emperors facts for kids

Imperial coat of arms of the Austrian Empire

This article lists the most important leaders who helped the Austrian Emperors rule their lands. These leaders held different titles over time, like State Chancellors or Minister-Presidents, but their main job was to manage the government and advise the Emperor. Understanding these roles helps us see how the Austrian Empire was governed for centuries.

Early Leaders (1527–1804)

From the late 1600s, a special group called the Privy Conference started advising Emperor Leopold I. The court chancellor, who was in charge of the Habsburg family's lands, became very important in this group. Later, Emperor Charles VI made the Court Chancellor, Philipp Ludwig Wenzel von Sinzendorf, responsible for dealing with other countries. After Sinzendorf died in 1742, Empress Maria Theresa created a separate office just for foreign affairs.

Here are some of the key leaders during this period:

• 1527 Leonhard Freiherr von Harrach
• 1528–1539 Bernhard von Cles
• 1539–1544 Dr. Georg Gienger
• 1544–1558 Dr. Jakob Jonas
• 1558–1563 Dr. Georg Sigmund Seid
• 1563–1577 Dr. Johann Baptist Weber
• 1577–1587 Dr. Sigmund Viehäuser
• 1587–1594 Dr. Jacob Kurz von Senftenau
• 1594–1597 Johann Wolf Freymann von Oberhausen
• 1597–1606 Dr. Rudolf Coradutz
• 1606–1612 Leopold Freiherr von Stralendorf
• 1612–1620 Hans Ludwig von Ulm
• 1620–1637 Johann Baptist Verda von Verdenberg
• 1637–1656 Johann Mathias Prücklmayer
• 1656–1665 Hans Joachim Sinzendorf
• 1667–1683 Johann Paul Hocher von Hohengran
• 1683–1693 Theodor von Strattman
• 1694–1705 Julius Friedrich Bucellini
• 1705–1715 Johann Friedrich von Seilern

Portrait	Name	Started	Ended
	Philipp Ludwig Wenzel Graf von Sinzendorf (1671–1742)	1715	8 February 1742
	Anton Corfiz Graf von Uhlfeld (1699–1769)	14 February 1742	13 May 1753
	Wenzel Anton Graf (from 1764, Fürst) von Kaunitz-Rietberg (1711–1794)	13 May 1753	19 August 1792
	Johann Philipp Graf von Cobenzl (1741–1810)	19 August 1792	27 March 1793
	Johann Amadeus Francis de Paula von Thugut (1736–1818)	27 March 1793	28 September 1800
	Ferdinand von Trauttmansdorff (1749–1827)	28 September 1800	11 August 1804

Emperor Francis I (1804–1835)

Emperor Francis I of Austria

During the reign of Emperor Francis I, the role of the top government leader became more defined. These leaders were known as State Chancellors of the Habsburg Monarchy. They were very important in guiding the empire through a time of big changes in Europe.

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Role	Time in Office		Political Group
	Ludwig von Cobenzl (1753–1809)	State Chancellor	11 August 1804	25 December 1805	No party
	Johann Philipp Stadion (1763–1824)	State Chancellor	25 December 1805	4 October 1809	No party
	Klemens von Metternich (1773–1859)	State Chancellor	8 October 1809	25 May 1821	No party
			25 May 1821	13 March 1848

Emperor Ferdinand I (1835–1848)

Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria

Emperor Ferdinand I continued to rely on top government officials to help him rule. During his time, the role of "Minister-President" became more common. These leaders were like the head of the government, managing the day-to-day affairs of the empire.

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Role	Time in Office		Political Group
	Prince Klemens von Metternich (1773–1859)	State Chancellor	8 October 1809	25 May 1821	No party
			25 May 1821	13 March 1848
	Count Franz Anton von Kolowrat-Liebsteinsky (1778–1861)	Minister-President	20 March 1848	19 April 1848	No party
	Charles-Louis, Count of Ficquelmont (1777–1857)	Minister-President	19 April 1848	4 May 1848	No party
	Baron Franz von Pillersdorf (1786–1862)	Minister-President	4 May 1848	8 July 1848	No party
	Baron Anton von Doblhoff-Dier (1800–1872)	Minister-President	8 July 1848	18 July 1848	No party
	Baron Johann von Wessenberg-Ampringen (1773–1858)	Minister-President	18 July 1848	21 November 1848	No party
	Prince Felix of Schwarzenberg (1800–1852)	Minister-President	21 November 1848	5 April 1852	No party

Emperor Franz Joseph I (1848–1916)

Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria

Emperor Franz Joseph I ruled for a very long time, from 1848 to 1916. During his reign, the government structure changed a lot. At first, there was a Minister-President, then a "Chairman of the Ministers' Conference." After 1867, the empire became Austria-Hungary, a dual monarchy. This meant there were separate governments for the Austrian part (called Cisleithania) and the Hungarian part (called Transleithania).

Under Emperor Franz Joseph I, there was one Minister-President of the Austrian Empire, six Chairmen of the Ministers' Conference, twenty-two Minister-Presidents of Cisleithania, and fourteen Prime Ministers of the Kingdom of Hungary.

Leaders of the Austrian Empire

These leaders served before the big change in 1867 that created Austria-Hungary. They were in charge of the entire Austrian Empire.

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Role	Time in Office		Political Group
		Prince Felix of Schwarzenberg (1800–1852)	Minister-President	21 November 1848	5 April 1852	No party
		Count Karl Ferdinand von Buol (1797–1865)	Chairman of the Ministers' Conference	11 April 1852	21 August 1859	No party
		Count Bernhard von Rechberg (1806–1899)	Chairman of the Ministers' Conference	21 August 1859	4 February 1861	No party
		Archduke Rainer Ferdinand of Austria (1827–1913)	Chairman of the Ministers' Conference	4 February 1861	26 June 1865	No party
		Count Alexander de Mensdorff-Pouilly (1813–1871)	Chairman of the Ministers' Conference	26 June 1865	27 July 1865	No party
		Count Richard Belcredi (1823–1902)	Chairman of the Ministers' Conference	27 July 1865	7 February 1867	No party
		Count Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust (1809–1886)	Chairman of the Ministers' Conference	7 February 1867	30 December 1867	No party

Leaders for Common Affairs (Austria-Hungary)

After 1867, Austria and Hungary joined together to form Austria-Hungary. They had some shared affairs, like foreign policy. The "Chairman of the Ministers' Council for Common Affairs" was the top leader for these shared topics.

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Role	Time in Office		Political Group
	Count Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust (1809–1886)	Chairman of the Ministers' Council for Common Affairs	30 December 1867	8 November 1871	No party
	Count Gyula Andrássy (1823–1890)	Chairman of the Ministers' Council for Common Affairs	14 November 1871	8 October 1879	No party
	Baron Heinrich Karl von Haymerle (1828–1881)	Chairman of the Ministers' Council for Common Affairs	8 October 1879	10 October 1881	No party
	Count Gustav Kálnoky (1832–1898)	Chairman of the Ministers' Council for Common Affairs	20 November 1881	2 May 1895	No party
	Count Agenor Maria Gołuchowski (1849–1921)	Chairman of the Ministers' Council for Common Affairs	16 May 1895	24 October 1906	No party
	Count Alois Lexa von Aehrenthal (1854–1912)	Chairman of the Ministers' Council for Common Affairs	24 October 1906	17 February 1912	No party
	Count Leopold Berchtold (1863–1942)	Chairman of the Ministers' Council for Common Affairs	17 February 1912	13 January 1915	No party
	Count Stephan Burián von Rajecz (1851–1922)	Chairman of the Ministers' Council for Common Affairs	13 January 1915	22 December 1916	No party

Leaders of Cisleithania (Austrian Part)

Cisleithania was the official name for the Austrian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. These leaders were called Minister-Presidents and were in charge of the government for this region.

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Role	Time in Office		Political Group
	Prince Karl of Auersperg (1814–1890)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	30 December 1867	24 September 1868	Constitutional Party
	Eduard Taaffe (1833–1895)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	24 September 1868	15 January 1870	Constitutional Party
	Baron Ignaz von Plener (1810–1908)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	15 January 1870	1 February 1870	Constitutional Party
	Leopold Hasner von Artha (1818–1891)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	1 February 1870	12 April 1870	Constitutional Party
	Alfred Józef Potocki (1817–1889)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	12 April 1870	6 February 1871	Federalist Party
	Count Karl Sigmund von Hohenwart (1824–1899)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	6 February 1871	30 October 1871	Federalist Party
	Ludwig Freiherr von Holzgethan (1800–1876)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	30 October 1871	25 November 1871	No party
	Prince Adolf of Auersperg (1821–1885)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	25 November 1871	15 February 1879	Constitutional Party
	Karl Ritter von Stremayr (1823–1904)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	15 February 1879	12 August 1879	Constitutional Party
	Eduard Taaffe (1833–1895)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	12 August 1879	11 November 1893	Constitutional Party
	Alfred III, Prince of Windisch-Grätz (1851–1927)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	11 November 1893	19 June 1895	Federalist Party
	Count Erich Kielmansegg (1847–1923)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	19 June 1895	30 September 1895	Federalist Party
	Count Kasimir Felix Badeni (1846–1909)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	30 September 1895	30 November 1897	Federalist Party
	Paul Gautsch von Frankenthurn (1851–1918)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	30 November 1897	5 March 1898	Christian Social Party
	Franz, Prince of Thun and Hohenstein (1847–1916)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	5 March 1898	2 October 1899	Federalist Party
	Count Manfred von Clary-Aldringen (1852–1928)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	5 March 1898	2 October 1899	No party
	Heinrich Ritter von Wittek (1844–1930)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	2 October 1899	18 January 1900	Christian Social Party
	Ernest von Koerber (1850–1919)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	18 January 1900	31 December 1904	(Old) Constitutional Party
	Paul Gautsch von Frankenthurn (1851–1918)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	1 January 1904	2 May 1906	Christian Social Party
	Prince Konrad of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (1863–1918)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	2 May 1906	2 June 1906	No party
	Baron Max Wladimir von Beck (1854–1943)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	2 June 1906	15 November 1908	No party
	Count Richard von Bienerth-Schmerling (1863–1918)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	15 November 1908	28 June 1911	No party
	Paul Gautsch von Frankenthurn (1851–1918)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	28 June 1911	3 November 1911	Christian Social Party
	Karl von Stürgkh (1859–1916)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	3 November 1911	21 October 1916	No party (German National Association)
	Ernest von Koerber (1850–1919)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	21 October 1916	20 December 1916	(Old) Constitutional Party (German National Association)

Leaders of Transleithania (Hungarian Part)

Transleithania was the official name for the Hungarian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. These leaders were called Prime Ministers of the Kingdom of Hungary.

Picture	Name (Birth–Death)	Role	Time in Office		Political Group
	Gyula Andrássy (1823–1890)	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	17 February 1867	14 November 1871	Deák Party
	Menyhért Lónyay (1822–1884)	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	14 November 1871	4 December 1872	Deák Party
	József Szlávy (1818–1900)	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	4 December 1872	21 March 1874	Deák Party
	István Bittó (1822–1903)	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	21 March 1874	2 March 1875	Deák Party
	Béla Wenckheim (1811–1879)	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	2 March 1875	20 October 1875	Liberal Party
	Kálmán Tisza (1830–1902)	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	20 October 1875	13 March 1890	Liberal Party
	Gyula Szapáry (1832–1905)	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	13 March 1890	17 November 1892	Liberal Party
	Sándor Wekerle (1848–1921) 1st term	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	17 November 1892	14 January 1895	Liberal Party
	Dezső Bánffy (1843–1911)	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	14 January 1895	26 February 1899	Liberal Party
	Kálmán Széll (1843–1915)	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	26 February 1899	27 June 1903	Liberal Party
	Károly Khuen-Héderváry (1849–1918) 1st term	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	27 June 1903	3 November 1903	Liberal Party
	István Tisza (1861–1918) 1st term	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	3 November 1903	18 June 1905	Liberal Party
	Géza Fejérváry (1833–1914)	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	18 June 1905	8 April 1906	Independent
	Sándor Wekerle (1848–1921) 2nd term	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	8 April 1906	17 January 1910	National Constitution Party
	Károly Khuen-Héderváry (1849–1918) 2nd term	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	17 January 1910	22 April 1912	National Party of Work
	László Lukács (1850–1932)	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	22 April 1912	10 June 1913	National Party of Work
	István Tisza (1861–1918) 2nd term	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	10 June 1913	15 June 1917	National Party of Work

Emperor Charles I (1916–1918)

Emperor Charles I of Austria

Charles I was the last Austrian Emperor. He ruled from 1916 until 1918, when the Austro-Hungarian Empire broke apart and the monarchy ended. During his short reign, five Minister-Presidents of Cisleithania and five Prime Ministers of the Kingdom of Hungary served under him.

Leaders for Common Affairs (Austria-Hungary)

These leaders managed the shared parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire during Emperor Charles I's rule.

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Role	Time in Office		Political Group
	Count Stephan Burián von Rajecz (1851–1922)	Chairman of the Ministers' Council for Common Affairs	13 January 1915	22 December 1916	No party
	Count Ottokar Czernin (1872–1932)	Chairman of the Ministers' Council for Common Affairs	22 December 1916	16 April 1918	No party
	Count Stephan Burián von Rajecz (1851–1922)	Chairman of the Ministers' Council for Common Affairs	16 April 1918	24 October 1918	No party
	Count Gyula Andrássy (the Younger) (1860–1929)	Chairman of the Ministers' Council for Common Affairs	24 October 1918	2 November 1918	No party

Leaders of Cisleithania (Austrian Part)

These were the Minister-Presidents who led the Austrian part of the empire during Emperor Charles I's time.

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Role	Time in Office		Political Group
	Ernest von Koerber (1850–1919)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	21 October 1916	20 December 1916	(Old) Constitutional Party (German National Association)
	Heinrich Clam-Martinic (1863–1932)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	20 December 1916	23 June 1917	No party (German National Association)
	Ernst Seidler von Feuchtenegg (1862–1931)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	23 June 1917	27 July 1918	No party
	Baron Max Hussarek von Heinlein (1865–1935)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	27 July 1918	27 October 1918	Christian Social Party
	Heinrich Lammasch (1853–1920)	Minister-President of Cisleithania	27 October 1918	11 November 1918	Christian Social Party

Leaders of Transleithania (Hungarian Part)

These were the Prime Ministers who led the Hungarian part of the empire during Emperor Charles I's time.

Picture	Name (Birth–Death)	Role	Time in Office		Political Group
	István Tisza (1861–1918) 2nd term	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	10 June 1913	15 June 1917	National Party of Work
	Móric Esterházy (1881–1960)	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	15 June 1917	20 August 1917	Independent
	Sándor Wekerle (1848–1921) 3rd term	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	20 August 1917	30 October 1918	National Constitution Party → '48 Constitution Party
	János Hadik (1863–1933)	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	30 October 1918	31 October 1918	National Constitution Party
	Mihály Károlyi (1875–1955)	Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary	31 October 1918	16 November 1918	F48P–Károlyi

See also

• Austria-Hungary
• Imperial Council
• Diet of Hungary