List of foreign ministers of Austria-Hungary

This is a list of foreign ministers (German: Außenminister) of the Habsburg monarchy, of the Austrian Empire, and of Austria-Hungary up to 1918.

Ministers of foreign affairs

Habsburg monarchy (1720–1805)

From 1664/69 the Privy Conference (Geheime Konferenz), a committee of the Imperial Privy Council (Geheimer Rat), provided advice to Emperor Leopold I whereby the Austrian Court Chancellor, responsible for the Habsburg 'Hereditary Lands', served as rapporteur and thereby gained increasing influence. The Habsburg diplomatic service was re-organised, when Emperor Charles VI by resolution of 1720 declared Court Chancellor Philipp Ludwig Wenzel von Sinzendorf responsible for foreign policy issues. Upon Sinzendorf's death in February 1742, Archduchess Maria Theresa finally separated the central Habsburg State Chancellery responsible of Foreign Affairs from the domestic Austrian Court Chancellery.

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Took office Left office Duration
Philipp Ludwig von Sinzendorf
(1671–1742) 		26 March 1720 8 February 1742 † 21 years, 317 days
Anton Corfiz Ulfeldt
(1699–1769) 		14 February 1742 13 May 1753 11 years, 88 days
Wenzel Kaunitz
(1711–1794) 		13 May 1753 19 August 1792 39 years, 98 days
Philipp von Cobenzl
(1741–1810) 		19 August 1792 27 March 1793 220 days
Johann Amadeus von Thugut
(1736–1818) 		27 March 1793 28 September 1800 7 years, 185 days
Ferdinand von Trauttmansdorff
(1749–1827) 		28 September 1800 18 September 1801 355 days
Ludwig von Cobenzl
(1753–1809) 		18 September 1801 25 December 1805 4 years, 98 days

Austrian Empire (1805–1867)

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Took office Left office Duration
Philipp Stadion
(1763–1824) 		25 December 1805 4 October 1809 3 years, 283 days
Klemens von Metternich
(1773–1859) 		8 October 1809 13 March 1848 38 years, 157 days
Karl Ficquelmont
(1777–1857) 		18 March 1848 4 May 1848 47 days
Johann Wessenberg
(1773–1858) 		8 May 1848 21 November 1848 197 days
Felix Schwarzenberg
(1800–1852) 		21 November 1848 5 April 1852 † 4 years, 135 days
Karl Buol
(1797–1865) 		11 April 1852 17 May 1859 7 years, 36 days
Bernhard Rechberg
(1806–1899) 		17 May 1859 27 October 1864 5 years, 163 days
Alexander Mensdorff
(1813–1871) 		27 October 1864 30 October 1866 2 years, 3 days
Ferdinand Beust
(1809–1886) 		30 October 1866 30 December 1867 1 year, 61 days

Imperial and Royal House of Austria-Hungary (1867–1918)

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Took office Left office Duration
Ferdinand Beust
(1809–1886) 		30 December 1867 8 November 1871 3 years, 313 days
Gyula Andrássy
(1823–1890) 		14 November 1871 8 October 1879 7 years, 328 days
Heinrich Haymerle
(1828–1881) 		8 October 1879 10 October 1881 † 2 years, 2 days
Gustav Kálnoky
(1832–1898) 		20 November 1881 2 May 1895 13 years, 163 days
Agenor Gołuchowski
(1849–1921) 		16 May 1895 24 October 1906 11 years, 161 days
Alois Aehrenthal
(1854–1912) 		24 October 1906 17 February 1912 † 5 years, 116 days
Leopold Berchtold
(1863–1942) 		17 February 1912 13 January 1915 2 years, 330 days
Stephan Burián
(1851–1922) 		13 January 1915 22 December 1916 1 year, 344 days
Ottokar Czernin
(1872–1932) 		22 December 1916 16 April 1918 1 year, 115 days
Stephan Burián
(1851–1922) 		16 April 1918 24 October 1918 191 days
Gyula Andrássy
(1860–1929) 		24 October 1918 2 November 1918 9 days

See also

Bibliography

  • Erwin Matsch, Der Auswärtige Dienst von Österreich-Ungarn 1720-1920, Vienna, Böhlau, 1986.
  • —, Geschichte des Auswärtigen Dienstes von Österreich-Ungarn 1720-1920, Vienna, Böhlau, 1980.