1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Goluchowski,

Agenor, Count
< 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
GOLUCHOWSKI, AGENOR, COUNT (1849- ), Austrian statesman, was born on the 25th of March 1849. His father, descended
from an old and noble Polish family, was governor of Galicia. Entering the diplomatic service, the son was in 1872 appointed attache
to the Austrian embassy at Berlin, where he became secretary of legation, and thence he was transferred to Paris. After rising to the
rank of counsellor of legation, he was in 1887 made minister at Bucharest, where he remained till 1893. In these positions he
acquired a great reputation as a firm and skilful diplomatist, and on the retirement of Count Kalnoky in May 1895 was chosen to
succeed him as Austro-Hungarian minister for foreign affairs. The appointment of a Pole caused some surprise in view of the
importance of Austrian relations with Russia (then rather strained) and Germany, but the choice was justified by events. In his speech
of that year to the delegations he declared the maintenance of the Triple Alliance, and in particular the closest intimacy with
Germany, to be the keystone of Austrian policy; at the same time he dwelt on the traditional friendship between Austria and Great
Britain, and expressed his desire for a good understanding with all the powers. In pursuance of this policy he effected an
understanding with Russia, by which neither power was to exert any separate influence in the Balkan peninsula, and thus removed a
long-standing cause of friction. This understanding was formally ratified during a visit to St Petersburg on which he accompanied the
emperor in April 1897. He took the lead in establishing the European concert during the Armenian troubles of 1896, and again
resisted isolated action on the part of any of the great powers during the Cretan troubles and the Greco-Turkish War. In November
1897, when the Austro-Hungarian flag was insulted at Mersina, he threatened to bombard the town if instant reparation were not
made, and by his firm attitude greatly enhanced Austrian prestige in the East. In his speech to the delegations in 1898 he dwelt on the
necessity of expanding Austria's mercantile marine, and of raising the fleet to a strength which, while not vying with the fleets of the
great naval powers, would ensure respect for the Austrian flag wherever her interests needed protection. He also hinted at the
necessity for European combination to resist American competition. The understanding with Russia in the matter of the Balkan States
temporarily endangered friendly relations with Italy, who thought her interests threatened, until Goluchowski guaranteed in 1898 the
existing order. He further encouraged a good understanding with Italy by personal conferences with the Italian foreign minister,
Tittoni, in 1904 and 1905. Count Lamsdorff visited Vienna in December 1902, when arrangements were made for concerted action in
imposing on the sultan reforms in the government of Macedonia. Further steps were taken after Goluchowski's interview with the tsar
at Mürzsteg in 1903, and two civil agents representing the countries were appointed for two years to ensure the execution of the
promised reforms. This period was extended in 1905, when Goluchowski was the chief mover in forcing the Porte, by an
international naval demonstration at Mitylene, to accept financial control by the powers in Macedonia. At the conference assembled
at Algeciras to settle the Morocco Question, Austria supported the German position, and after the close of the conferences the
emperor William II. telegraphed to Goluchowski: “You have proved yourself a brilliant second on the duelling ground and you may
feel certain of like services from me in similar circumstances.” This pledge was redeemed in 1908, when Germany's support of
Austria in the Balkan crisis proved conclusive. By the Hungarians, however, Goluchowski was hated; he was suspected of having
inspired the emperor's opposition to the use of Magyar in the Hungarian army, and was made responsible for the slight offered to the
Magyar deputation by Francis Joseph in September 1905. So long as he remained in office there was no hope of arriving at a
settlement of a matter which threatened the disruption of the Dual monarchy, and on the 11th of October 1906 he was forced to
resign.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?

title=1911_Encyclopædia_Britannica/Goluchowski,_Agenor
,_Count&oldid=6474017"

This page was last edited on 12 October 2016, at 14:40.

Text is available under theCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License

; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.