Franz de Paula Karl von Colloredo

Franz de Paula Karl Graf von Colloredo-Waldsee (born May 23, 1736 in Vienna ; † March 10, 1806 ibid) was Imperial Cabinet and Conference Minister.

family

His father was Count Camillo von Colloredo-Waldsee . This was chief steward of the Archduchess Maria Anna. The mother was Maria Franziska (née Countess von Wolfsthal) . He himself married Maria Eleonore Countess von Wrbna and Freudenthal in 1762 . In his second marriage he married Victoria Countess Folliot de Crenneville . The first marriage resulted in three sons and three daughters. The later diplomat Franz de Paula von Colloredo-Wallsee and a daughter emerged from the second marriage .

Life

He began his civil service career as a government councilor in Lower Austria . In 1772 he became the chief steward in Florence and tutor of the future emperor Franz . This appointed Colloredo after taking over the throne in 1792 as his cabinet minister . Colloredo played a key role in the State and Conference Council.

After the resignation of Johann Amadeus Franz von Thugut in 1801 after the Treaty of Luneville , Colloredo was also responsible for foreign policy alongside Johann Ludwig von Cobenzl . He remained attached to the ideas from the time of the Ancien Régime and was still dependent on Thugut. The development in France was alien to him and he was no match for Napoleon . At first he leaned towards the French side. In addition, he wavered between ties to the Holy Roman Empire and the interests of Austria. Allegedly, the influence of his second wife was partly responsible that Colloredo decided in 1805 to join the anti-French coalition.

After the renewed war with Napoleon in 1805, he campaigned for Karl Mack von Leiberich to be appointed General Quartermaster. After the battles of Ulm and Austerlitz , Colloredo was also indirectly charged with these defeats, which led to his dismissal.

literature

• Johann Christoph Allmayer-Beck :  Colloredo-Waldsee, Franz de Paula Karl von. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 3, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1957, ISBN 3-428-00184-2 , p. 326 f. ( Digitized version ).
• Felgel:  Colloredo-Waldsee, Franz de Paula Karl von . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 4, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1876, p. 414 f.