The family of Prince Gorchakov for many generations occupied one of the leading places in the political life of the Russian Empire. The genus of Alexander Mikhailovich includes many famous personalities, including among the Rurik and Olgoviches. Gorchakov himself from 1871 bore the title of His Serene Highness. He was a prominent person in the highest circles, and also led a friendship with Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.
Childhood
It is difficult to find a person in the Russian Empire who would be more fortunate than Alexander Gorchakov. He was born on June 15, 1798 into an extremely we althy and influential family. His father was also a prince with the rank of major general, and his mother was a baroness in her second marriage. Elena Ferzen also had a son, Karl, from her first husband. He suffered from mental illness and married Leo Tolstoy's aunt.
Alexander Mikhailovich received his primary education in Tsarskoye Selo. At the Lyceum, the young Prince Gorchakov is a friend of Pushkin, a successful young man and a charismatic gentleman. From a young age he was called "a great friend of the world", as well as "the customs of a brilliant observer". Friends characterized the figure as successfula diplomat who possesses all the qualities necessary for this work. Alexander received not only a good professional education, but also acquired a high level of literary literacy, for which the man was especially appreciated in the circle of the upper classes.
Short biography of Prince Gorchakov at the beginning of the service
The young aristocrat was awarded his first title at the age of 21 - even then he was listed as a chamber junker. And in the early 1920s he was assigned to Count Nesselrode, with whom he participated in the congresses of Lublin, Verona and Troppau. By the beginning of 1823, he was awarded the post of secretary to the ambassador in Great Britain, where he served brilliantly for 5 years.
With promotion, the young prince traveled as a diplomat to almost all leading European countries, including 5 years living in Vienna. Perhaps it was from there that the incomprehensible Francophilia of Prince Gorchakov appeared - the young aristocrat was struck by the level of education and civil society in Austria.
Diplomatic activity in the German states
In 1841, Prince Gorchakov was sent to Stuttgart. His duties included arranging the wedding ceremony of Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna and Crown Prince of Württemberg Karl Friedrich. After the event, the aristocrat was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary, in whose rank he lived for the next 12 years. This situation benefited Alexander Mikhailovich, and also allowed him to observe the course of the movement of revolutionaries in southern Germany.
By 1950He received the position of Minister Plenipotentiary to the German Diet in Frankfurt. This was one of the most important stages in the formation of Prince Gorchakov. It was at this time that the diplomat came together in interests with the future German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. By joint efforts, they headed for the rapprochement of the two great empires. Gorchakov was an adherent of Western cooperation and did not share Nikolai's aspirations for conquest in the East.
The betrayal of Austria and the Crimean War
The middle of 1854 turned out to be associated with great changes in the life of Prince Gorchakov. First, he was transferred to the Meyendorff embassy, and already in March 1855 he received the post of chief ambassador to the Austrian government. In this difficult period for the Russian Empire, Austria backed down and amazed everyone with its turn in the opposite direction, acting in alliance with England and France. Largely thanks to the efforts of Ambassador Gorchakov, the German state nevertheless decided to remain neutral, which was another step towards making peace at the Paris Congress of 1856. The conditions were ultimatum, but still reasonable, even despite the fact of the fall of Sevastopol and the serious weakening of the Russian Empire.
Gorchakov's activity as minister
After the signing of the Peace of Paris in 1856, Russia was thrown far back in Western European affairs for a long time. At the same time, in March of the same year, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Count Nesselrod, resigned, and His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Gorchakov took his place. He took office in an extremely difficult period and for a long time could not forgive the betrayal of Austria. In the first years after the Crimean War, the newly minted minister had only two tasks: to take revenge on Austria for the "dirty game" and to abandon the conditions set during the Paris Congress.
For three years after the Crimean War, Gorchakov competently built a political controversy regarding Russia's position on the world stage. One of his most accurate statements was that "Russia is concentrating." By 1859, the position had changed dramatically - now imperial ambitions could once again dictate certain conditions to Western countries. The state was seriously strengthened and was able to recover from a major defeat.
The first serious interest after the lull for the Russian Empire was the civil war in Italy. Gorchakov focused his diplomatic activity on this region. The Empire was able to repay Austria by taking part in the war against it on the side of Napoleon III.
Gorchakov's role in the Polish question
One of the most acute problems that prevented the rapprochement between the governments of Napoleon III and the Russian Empire was the Polish question, which made it possible to consolidate relations with Prussia that deteriorated over time. Bismarck from the very beginning to the post of head of government pursued a policy of rapprochement with Russian partners. Minister Gorchakov, in turn, did the same. In the 60s, many agreements were signed, which significantly increased the mutual support of the twostates. The opposition of France forced the German government to hold on tightly to its eastern partner, but Russia had a lot of room for maneuver and could choose its own partners. Gorchakov saw no point in allying with anyone else but Germany.
Thanks to the efforts of the Russian government, Austria was able to maintain its statehood and strengthen itself after the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. Prussia was also able to significantly increase its imperial ambitions, including with the assistance of Prince Gorchakov and his role in this conflict.
At the same time, the defeat of France meant a significant change in the relationship between Bismarck and Alexander Gorchakov. The influence of Germany was becoming more and more, which called into question the authority of Russia in the Balkans. Over the next 10 years, the friendship of the two states was still afloat, but could no longer be called beneficial cooperation.
Private life
The biography of Prince Gorchakov was full of historical events and incredible meetings. Nevertheless, he married only by the age of 40 to Maria Alexandrovna Musina-Pushkina. The eldest son from this marriage, Michael, also received a diplomatic post and served in Spain, Saxony and Switzerland. Photos of Prince Gorchakov are few - mostly the aristocrat preferred portraits.
