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.
State Chancellors of the 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 26 March 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 | Began | Ended |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Philipp Ludwig Wenzel Graf von Sinzendorf (26 December 1671 – 8 February 1742) | 26 March 1720 | 8 February 1742 |
| Anton Corfiz Graf von Uhlfeld (15 June 1699 – 31 December 1769) | 14 February 1742 | 13 May 1753 | |
 | Wenzel Anton Graf (from 1764, Fürst) von Kaunitz-Rietberg (2 February 1711 – 27 June 1794) | 13 May 1753 | 19 August 1792 |
.jpg) | Johann Philipp Graf von Cobenzl (28 May 1741 – 30 August 1810) | 19 August 1792 | 27 March 1793 |
 | Johann Amadeus Francis de Paula von Thugut (8 March 1736 – 29 May 1818) | 27 March 1793 | 28 September 1800 |
| Franz de Paula Karl Graf von Colloredo-Waldsee (23 May 1736 – 10 March 1806) | 5 October 1800 | 30 November 1805 |
Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Austrian Empire (1805–1867)
| Portrait | Name | Began | Ended |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Johann Graf Stadion-Thannhausen (18 June 1763 – 15 May 1824) | 24 December 1805 | 4 October 1809 |
 | Klemens Graf (from 1813, Fürst) von Metternich-Winneburg (15 May 1773 – 11 June 1859) | 8 October 1809 | 13 March 1848 |
 | Karl Graf von Ficquelmont (23 March 1777 – 7 April 1857) | 18 March 1848 | 4 May 1848 |
 | Johann Freiherr von Wessenberg-Ampringen (28 November 1773 – 1 August 1858) | 8 May 1848 | 21 November 1848 |
 | Felix Prinz zu Schwarzenberg (2 October 1800 – 5 April 1852) | 21 November 1848 | 5 April 1852 |
 | Karl Graf von Buol-Schauenstein (17 May 1797 – 28 October 1865) | 11 April 1852 | 17 May 1859 |
 | Johann Graf von Rechberg und Rothenlöwen (17 July 1806 – 26 February 1899) | 17 May 1859 | 27 October 1864 |
 | Alexander Graf von Mensdorff-Pouilly (4 August 1813 – 14 February 1871) | 27 October 1864 | 30 October 1866 |
 | Friedrich Ferdinand Graf von Beust (13 January 1809 – 24 October 1886) | 30 October 1866 | 30 December 1867 |
Ministers of the Imperial and Royal House and of Foreign Affairs of Austria-Hungary (1867–1918)
| Portrait | Name | Began | Ended |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Count Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust (13 January 1809 – 24 October 1886) | 30 December 1867 | 8 November 1871 |
 | Count Gyula Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka (8 March 1823 – 18 February 1890) | 14 November 1871 | 8 October 1879 |
 | Baron Heinrich Karl von Haymerle (7 December 1828 – 10 October 1881) | 8 October 1879 | 10 October 1881 |
 | Count Gustav Kálnoky de Köröspatak (29 December 1832 – 13 February 1898) | 20 November 1881 | 2 May 1895 |
 | Count Agenor Maria Gołuchowski (25 March 1849 – 28 March 1921) | 16 May 1895 | 24 October 1906 |
 | Count Alois Lexa von Aehrenthal (27 September 1854 – 17 February 1912) | 24 October 1906 | 17 February 1912 |
 | Count Leopold Berchtold von und zu Ungarschitz, Frättling und Püllütz (18 April 1863 – 21 November 1942) | 17 February 1912 | 13 January 1915 |
 | Count Stephan Burián von Rajecz (16 January 1851 – 20 October 1922) | 13 January 1915 | 22 December 1916 |
 | Count Ottokar Czernin von und zu Chudenitz (26 September 1872 – 4 April 1932) | 22 December 1916 | 16 April 1918 |
| | Count Stephan Burián von Rajecz (16 January 1851 – 20 October 1922) | 16 April 1918 | 24 October 1918 |
 | Count Gyula Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka (the Younger) (30 June 1860 – 11 June 1929) | 24 October 1918 | 2 November 1918 |
An interesting fact confirming a specific character of the Austria-Hungary is that from 10 ministers 2 were born in today Austria, 3 in the Czech republic, 3 in Slovakia, 1 in Germany and 1 in Ukraine.
Notes
Regarding personal names:
- Prinz is a title, translated as Prince, not a first or middle name. The female form is Prinzessin.
- Fürst is a title, translated as (Sovereign) Prince, not a first or middle name. The female form is Fürstin.
- Graf is a title, translated as Count, not a first or middle name. The female form is Gräfin.
- Freiherr is a title, translated as Baron, not a first or middle name. The female forms are Freifrau and Freiin.
See also
- Foreign Ministry of Austria-Hungary
- Austro-Hungarian Foreign Service
- List of diplomatic missions of Austria-Hungary
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.