Karl Robert Nesselrode
Count Karl Robert Nesselrode (December 14, 1780 - March 23, 1862) was a Russian diplomat and a leading European conservative statesman of the Holy Alliance.
He was born in Lisbon, Portugal where his father was the Czar's ambassador. The Nesselrodes were of Westphalian origin, but had long been settled in Livonia. At the age of 16 he entered the Russian navy where, with his father's influence, he secured the position of naval aide-de-camp to Czar Paul. He entered diplomatic service under Czar Alexander I, and became state secretary in 1814. He was the head of Russia's official delegation to Congress of Vienna, but for the most part Emperor Alexander I acted as his own foreign miniter. In 1816, Nesselrode became Russian foreign minister, sharing influence with Count Capo d?Istria until the latter?s retirement in 1822. For forty years Nesselrode guided Russian policy and was a leading European conservative statesman of the Holy Alliance. Between 1845 and 1856, he served as chancellor. In 1849 he dispatched Russian troops to aid Austria in puting down the Hungarian revolt led by Louis Kossuth. Nesselrode's attempts to expand Russia's influence in the Balkans and Mediterranean led to conflict with Turkey, Britain and France in the Crimean War (1853-1856). Britain and France were concerned by Russia's growing infuence and were determined to support Turkey and so restrict Russia. Later he helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris that ended this war.
His autobiography was published posthumously in 1866.
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