Wenzel Anton Graf Kaunitz

Wenzel Anton Graf Kaunitz (en: Count Wenceslaus Anthony von Kaunitz, cz: Václav Antonín hrabě Kounic-Rietberg) (February 2, 1711 – June 27, 1794), born into an old Bohemian noble family settled in Moravia, was an Austrian statesman. In 1764 he 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.



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, minister in the Austrian Netherlands during the absence of its ruler Prince Charles of Lorraine; he represented Austria at the Congress of Aachen at the close of the War of the Austrian Succession (1748) and was ambassador in Paris.

His most important and extremely influential office was that of the chancellor of state and minister of foreign affairs, where he had Maria Theresa's full trust. Thanks in large part to him, Habsburg Austria entered a treaty with her old enemy,France (and later Russia and Sweden) against Prussia to win back Silesia, which Austria lost to Prussia in 1748 as a consequence of the Congress of Aachen.

He founded the Austrian Staatsrat ("Council of State") and worked towards the goal of subjecting the church to the state. He followed the thoughts of the Enlightenment and among his aims was also the better education of the commoners.

Although Joseph II. generally shared such ideas, Kaunitz' 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..

Notes