Count Johann Bernhard von Rechberg und Rothenlöwen

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Alexander Graf von Mensdorff-Pouilly
Personal details
Born(1806-07-17)17 July 1806
Regensburg, Bavaria,
Holy Roman Empire
Died26 February 1899(1899-02-26) (aged 92)
Kettenhof Castle, Schwechat, Austria-Hungary

Count Johann Bernhard von Rechberg und Rothenlöwen (German: Johann Bernhard Graf von Rechberg und Rothenlöwen) (17 July 1806 – 26 February 1899) was an Austrian statesman and a member of an old Swabian House of Rechberg.

Early life

Born at Regensburg as the second son of the Bavarian statesman Count Aloys von Rechberg und Rothenlöwen zu Hohenrechberg (1766–1849) and his wife, Countess Maria Anna Amalie Friederike von Schlitz gen. von Görtz (1778-1825).

Biography

Johann Bernhard was destined for the Bavarian public service, his elder brother being a hereditary member of the Upper House in the parliament of

Munich, but he incurred the displeasure of King Ludwig I of Bavaria by the part he played as second in a duel, and in 1828 he transferred himself to the Austrian diplomatic service.[1]

After being attached to the embassies in Berlin, London and

Buol, the foreign minister; this brought about constant disputes with Bismarck, at that time Prussian envoy at the diet, which were sharpened by Rechberg's choleric temper, and on one occasion nearly led to a duel. Bismarck, however, always expressed a high appreciation of his character and abilities. In May 1859, on the eve of the Second Italian War of Independence (1859), he was appointed Austrian minister of foreign affairs and minister-president, surrendering the latter post to the Archduke Rainer in the following year.[1]

The five years during which Rechberg held the portfolio of foreign affairs covered the war with Piedmont and France, the insurrection in

Austro-Prussian war with Denmark. After the defeat of Magenta Rechberg accompanied the emperor to Italy, and he had to meet the crisis caused by a war for which he was not responsible. He began the concessions to Hungary and in the Polish question, and was responsible for the adhesion of Austria to the alliance of the Western Powers. In the German question Rechberg's policy was one of compromise. To the project of the Fürstentag he was altogether opposed. The project had been suggested to the emperor Franz Joseph by his son-in-law, the hereditary prince of Thurn und Taxis, and the preliminary arrangements were made without Rechberg being informed. When at last he was told, he tendered his resignation, which was not accepted, and he accompanied the emperor to the abortive meeting at Frankfurt (August 1863). The attempt made by Rechberg at the subsequent ministerial conference at Nuremberg to establish a German league without Prussia was equally unsuccessful, and he now returned to the policy, which in opposition to Schmerling he had throughout advocated, of a peaceful arrangement between Prussia and Austria as the indispensable preliminary to a reform of the Confederation.[1]

At this juncture the death of

King William and Bismarck.[2]

On 22 August there was a meeting of the emperor Franz Joseph and King William at Schönbrunn, both Rechberg and Bismarck being present. Rechberg himself was in favor of allowing Prussia to annex the duchies, on condition that Prussia should guarantee Austria's possession of Venice and the Adriatic coast. On the first point no agreement was reached; but the principles of an Austro-Prussian alliance in the event of a French invasion of Italy were agreed upon. This latter proposal was, however, received with violent opposition in the ministry, where Rechberg's influence had long been overshadowed by that of Schmerling; public opinion, utterly distrustful of Prussian promises, was also greatly excited; and on 27 October Rechberg handed in his resignation, receiving at the same time the Order of the Golden Fleece from the emperor as a sign of special favor. He had been made an hereditary member of the Upper House of the Reichsrat in 1861, and as late as 1879 continued occasionally to take part in debates. He died at his chateau (Schloss Altkettenhof) of Kettenhof (today: Schwechat) near Vienna on 26 February 1899.[3]

Personal life

He had married, in 1834, Hon. Barbara Jones, eldest daughter of the Thomas Jones, 6th Viscount Ranelagh (1763–1820), by whom he had one son:[1]

  • Count Louis von Rechberg und Rothenlöwen zu Hohenrechberg (b. 1835 - d. 1877); married Landgravine Aloysia Luise Marie zu Fürstenberg-Weitra (1840 - 1925) and had issue.

Honours

He received the following orders and decorations:[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Chisholm 1911, p. 952.
  2. ^ Chisholm 1911, pp. 952–953.
  3. ^ Chisholm 1911, p. 953.
  4. ^ "K.K. Ministerium des Kaiserlichen Hauses und des Auessern", Hof- und Staatshandbuch des österreichischen Kaiserthumes, 1860, p. 142, retrieved 14 January 2021
  5. ^ Hessen-Darmstadt (1866). Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Großherzogtums Hessen: für das Jahr ... 1866. Staatsverl. pp. 31, 92.
  6. ^ Hessen-Darmstadt (1859). Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Großherzogtums Hessen: für das Jahr ... 1859. Staatsverl. p. 39.
  7. ^ "Königliche Orden", Hof- und - Staatshandbuch des Königreichs Bayern (in German), Munich: Druck and Verlag, 1890, pp. 11, 81, retrieved 3 March 2021
  8. ^ "Ritter-Orden", Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie, 1899, pp. 55, 58, 76, retrieved 14 January 2021
  9. ^ Almanacco di corte (in Italian). 1858. p. 331. Retrieved 2019-04-24.
  10. ^ Staat Hannover (1860). Hof- und Staatshandbuch für das Königreich Hannover: 1860. Berenberg. p. 73.
  11. ^ "Schwarzer Adler-orden", Königlich Preussische Ordensliste (in German), vol. 1, Berlin, 1886, p. 6 – via hathitrust.org{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  12. ^ "Seccion IV: Ordenes del Imperio", Almanaque imperial para el año 1866 (in Spanish), Mexico City: Imp. de J.M. Lara, 1866, p. 245
Government offices
Preceded by
Count Buol
Foreign Minister of Austria

1859–1864 		Succeeded by
Count Mensdorff-Pouilly
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