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 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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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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 |
Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the 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 |
Ministers of the Imperial and Royal House and of Foreign Affairs 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.