Alexander von Mensdorff-Pouilly, Prince von Dietrichstein zu Nikolsburg


Count Alexander Konstantin Albrecht von Mensdorff-Pouilly, 1st Prince von Dietrichstein zu Nikolsburg was an Austrian general, diplomat and politician, including two years as Minister of Foreign Affairs and one month's service as Minister-President of Austria. He was a first cousin of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, as their mothers were sisters.

Life and career

He was born as a son of Princess Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Count Emmanuel von Mensdorff-Pouilly, a member of the House of Mensdorff-Pouilly. He entered the Austrian army in 1829, and he was promoted to captain in 1836 and major in 1844. In 1848–49, he fought in the First Italian War of Independence and against the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. In 1849, he was promoted to colonel and the following year to major general.
In 1851, Mensdorff-Pouilly was appointed as the Austrian commissioner to Schleswig-Holstein. In 1852, he became the Austrian ambassador to Russia. He was promoted to Feldmarschallleutnant in 1858. During the Polish Uprising of 1863, he served as the governor of Austrian Galicia.

Foreign Minister

Mensdorff-Pouilly was appointed as Foreign Minister of the Austrian Empire on 27 October 1864. Mensdorff-Pouilly's policies during his tenure as Foreign Minister for Emperor Franz Joseph were often largely a continuation of the conservative traditionalism of Rechberg, his predecessor.
Mensdorff-Pouilly, like Rechberg, sought to maintain conservative dominance of the German Confederation through an alliance between Austria and Prussia, and he steadfastly refused to consider British suggestions that Austria surrender Venetia to Italy. He was also a first cousin of Queen Victoria, their mothers being sisters.
After Austria's defeat in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Mensdorff-Pouilly resigned his functions in November of that year. After his resignation, he was appointed commanding general in Zagreb and Prague.

Family

He married Alexandrine "Aline" von Dietrichstein, daughter of Joseph, 9th Prince von Dietrichstein, with whom he had children: