Andreas Peter Bernstorff
Encyclopedia
Andreas Peter Bernstorff (28 August 1735 – 21 June 1797) was a Danish
statesman and politician. He was a Danish minister
, father of Christian Günther von Bernstorff
, and a guardian of civil and political liberty.
as a nephew of the statesman Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff whose position probably introduced him to Danish politics. After a grand European tour he 1755 joined the Danish state service, first as a courtier and then from 1760 as a state official both in foreign political and financial matters. His career was slow but steady. During the 1760s he placed himself as an able but not outstanding official closely connected to his uncle. In the Struensee years 1770-71 he was dismissed but soon he was recalled by the new regime of Ove Høegh-Guldberg
.
1773 Bernstorff was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs
and from then his real Danish career began. During this period he carried through the final solution of the Gottorp
question during the exchange of real estate with the Russian Tsar family together with a Russian alliance. In general he supported a pro-Russian (but independent) line trying holding Sweden
in neck and avoiding any conflict with England
. He created an outstanding position for himself but also many enemies within the government. This was partly due to his alleged wilfulness partly due to political rivalry. The difficult years during the American War of Independence strengthened his wishes of an “active neutrality”. 1780 he had a great foreign political triumph by concluding a League of Neutrality
with Russia and Sweden but at the same time concluding a special agreement with England that secured Danish trade. A deep but temporary Russian dissatisfaction with this last treaty was exploited by his Danish rivals and November 1780 he was dismissed by Guldberg.
1780-84 Bernstorff kept in the background as an interested observer of the political situation. He still enjoyed support in Copenhagen merchant circles and did not give up his political ambitions. Very early he was connected to Crown Prince Frederick (Frederick VI), he became a part of the conspiracy against Guldberg and 1784 he supported the coup d’état which made Frederick the Prince Regent.
In Scandinavian matters Bernstorff in this period carried on a cautious pro-Russian policy without clashing with Sweden. The Russo-Swedish War 1787-90 led to an abortive Danish participation 1788 of which he managed to escape without any open breaks. During the next years he gradually phased out the Russian alliance and tried to better the relations to Sweden.
The most important problem of Bernstorff in this period was the French Revolution
and the wars in its wake. Also here he firmly maintained a neutral line and showed his special virtuosity of balancing between the great powers in order to protect the Danish trade. He strongly kept to the International Law
but avoided provoking any parts. By this both strong and yet not rigid diplomacy he maintained the economic position of the Danish merchants and in spite of much problems with both France and England made his course respected. Among other things he firmly avoided a politics of convoy. At the same time he clearly refused taking any part in the intervention
in France. This was probably due to his principally neutral line but also partly to his growing respect of national integrity.
of this period was probably due to his wishes. His sympathies of England and of English political conditions – quite contrary to those of his uncle - also seem to have entered into it. His cultural interests were great but he did not have much influence here. As a German albeit using the Danish language he stood too far from Danish poetry.
Bernstorff is still considered one of the greatest Danish statesmen of the 18th century having today probably overshadowed his uncle. To his contemporaries his relatively early death was felt as a great misfortune – though it is impossible to decide whether he would have been able to maintain his political line. Being characterised a hot-tempered and cantankerous official as a young man he gradually seems to have emerged into a brilliant and adroit man of the world. In many ways he was one of the last representatives of the German aristocratic statesmen of Danish state service before the national reaction began.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
statesman and politician. He was a Danish minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
, father of Christian Günther von Bernstorff
Christian Günther von Bernstorff
Count Christian Gunther von Bernstorff was a Danish and Prussian statesman and diplomat, son of Count Andreas Peter von Bernstorff.-Biography:...
, and a guardian of civil and political liberty.
Background and early career
A. P. Bernstorff was born in HanoverHanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
as a nephew of the statesman Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff whose position probably introduced him to Danish politics. After a grand European tour he 1755 joined the Danish state service, first as a courtier and then from 1760 as a state official both in foreign political and financial matters. His career was slow but steady. During the 1760s he placed himself as an able but not outstanding official closely connected to his uncle. In the Struensee years 1770-71 he was dismissed but soon he was recalled by the new regime of Ove Høegh-Guldberg
Ove Høegh-Guldberg
Ove Høegh-Guldberg was a Danish statesman, historian and de facto prime minister of Denmark, 1772–1784.-Biography:...
.
1773 Bernstorff was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
and from then his real Danish career began. During this period he carried through the final solution of the Gottorp
Gottorp
Gottorf Castle is a castle and estate in the city of Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the ancestral home of the Holstein-Gottorp branch of the House of Oldenburg...
question during the exchange of real estate with the Russian Tsar family together with a Russian alliance. In general he supported a pro-Russian (but independent) line trying holding Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in neck and avoiding any conflict with England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He created an outstanding position for himself but also many enemies within the government. This was partly due to his alleged wilfulness partly due to political rivalry. The difficult years during the American War of Independence strengthened his wishes of an “active neutrality”. 1780 he had a great foreign political triumph by concluding a League of Neutrality
First League of Armed Neutrality
The first League of Armed Neutrality was an alliance of European naval powers between 1780 and 1783 which was intended to protect neutral shipping against the British Royal Navy's wartime policy of unlimited search of neutral shipping for French contraband...
with Russia and Sweden but at the same time concluding a special agreement with England that secured Danish trade. A deep but temporary Russian dissatisfaction with this last treaty was exploited by his Danish rivals and November 1780 he was dismissed by Guldberg.
1780-84 Bernstorff kept in the background as an interested observer of the political situation. He still enjoyed support in Copenhagen merchant circles and did not give up his political ambitions. Very early he was connected to Crown Prince Frederick (Frederick VI), he became a part of the conspiracy against Guldberg and 1784 he supported the coup d’état which made Frederick the Prince Regent.
Foreign Minister 1784-97
May 1784 Bernstorff was for second time made Minister of Foreign Affairs which opened his real golden age. Until his death he was in reality “prime minister” of Denmark, the leading man of the cabinet by whose advice the Prince Regent was normally guided. 1788-89 he was also temporarily the President of Danish Chancellery (Home Office).In Scandinavian matters Bernstorff in this period carried on a cautious pro-Russian policy without clashing with Sweden. The Russo-Swedish War 1787-90 led to an abortive Danish participation 1788 of which he managed to escape without any open breaks. During the next years he gradually phased out the Russian alliance and tried to better the relations to Sweden.
The most important problem of Bernstorff in this period was the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and the wars in its wake. Also here he firmly maintained a neutral line and showed his special virtuosity of balancing between the great powers in order to protect the Danish trade. He strongly kept to the International Law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
but avoided provoking any parts. By this both strong and yet not rigid diplomacy he maintained the economic position of the Danish merchants and in spite of much problems with both France and England made his course respected. Among other things he firmly avoided a politics of convoy. At the same time he clearly refused taking any part in the intervention
Humanitarian intervention
Humanitarian intervention "refers to a state using military force against another state when the chief publicly declared aim of that military action is ending human-rights violations being perpetrated by the state against which it is directed."...
in France. This was probably due to his principally neutral line but also partly to his growing respect of national integrity.
Domestic politics and conclusion
First of all Bernstorff was the foreign politician but because of his leading role he clearly influed on domestic politics. Very early he was known as a supporter of the idea of independent farmers and though not its initiator he wholehearted supported the great agrarian reforms (the abolition of Adscription 1788) and also many of the reform laws of the 1790s. A loyal supporter of Danish absolutism, he was, however, in many ways a liberal by nature and the relative freedom of the pressFreedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials...
of this period was probably due to his wishes. His sympathies of England and of English political conditions – quite contrary to those of his uncle - also seem to have entered into it. His cultural interests were great but he did not have much influence here. As a German albeit using the Danish language he stood too far from Danish poetry.
Bernstorff is still considered one of the greatest Danish statesmen of the 18th century having today probably overshadowed his uncle. To his contemporaries his relatively early death was felt as a great misfortune – though it is impossible to decide whether he would have been able to maintain his political line. Being characterised a hot-tempered and cantankerous official as a young man he gradually seems to have emerged into a brilliant and adroit man of the world. In many ways he was one of the last representatives of the German aristocratic statesmen of Danish state service before the national reaction began.