Beust

Beust, FRIEDRICH FERDINAND, COUNT VON, German statesman, one of the most prominent modern politicians, was born at Dresden, January 13, 1809. Having conceived early a liking for politics, he devoted himself to diplomacy, and was employed by his government in various capacities in Berlin, Paris, and London. As minister for foreign affairs for Saxony, he, in 1849, declared against the adoption of the new German constitution, but in 1863 he supported the rights of the smaller German states on the Sleswick-Holstein question. In 1866, however, his friendship for Austria induced him to join that country in the war with Prussia, against the wishes of at least the liberal party in Saxony. He afterwards entered the service of Austria, and rose in 1867 to the head of affairs. The chief result of his policy in the reorganisation of the empire was the reconciliation of Hungary, although he afterwards disclaimed the honour of introducing dualism into the empire, and declared that he did so because only Déak's plan would satisfy Hungary. A zealous Protestant, he was an opponent of the Ultramontanes, and his tenure of office saw the removal of Jewish disabilities, and the establishment of civil marriages. Having failed in 1870 to keep his engagements to France, he resigned the office of chancellor in 1871, and though he was afterwards ambassador at London (1871-78) and Paris (1878-82), he never again took a prominent part in politics. He died October 24, 1886. See his Memoirs (Eng. trans., with an introduction by Baron Henry de Worms, 2 vols. 1887).