Count Frigyes Szapáry de Szapár, Muraszombat et Széchy-Sziget (15 November 1869 – 18 March 1935), was an

Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

diplomat of Hungarian origin serving as ambassador to

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

at the outbreak of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and who played a key role during the

July Crisis The July Crisis was a series of interrelated diplomatic and military escalations among the Great power, major powers of Europe in mid-1914, Causes of World War I, which led to the outbreak of World War I. It began on 28 June 1914 when the Serbs ...

of 1914.

Life

Born in

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

on 15 November 1869 into a prominent Hungarian House of Szapáry, as the second son of Count László Szapáry (1831–1883), an Austro-Hungarian general who had played a leading role in the

occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina The campaign to establish Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina lasted from 29 July to 20 October 1878 against the local resistance fighters, Muslims and orthodox Serbs, supported unofficially by troops of the Ottoman Empire. The Austro ...

in 1878, and his wife, Countess Marianne von Grünne (1835-1906), great-granddaughter of Prince Ferdinand von Trauttmansdorff-Weinsberg. He was also a cousin of Count Gyula Szapáry, Prime Minister of Hungary from 1890 to 1892. On 27 April 1908, he married Princess Hedwig von

Windisch-Graetz The House of Windisch-Graetz, also spelled Windischgrätz, is an ancient Austrian aristocratic family, descending from Windischgrätz in Lower Styria (present-day Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia). The noble dynasty serving the House of Habsburg achieve ...

(1878–1918), daughter of Alfred Fürst zu Windisch-Grätz and Princess Marie Gabrielle Eleonore von Auersperg (1855–1933). Her father had been Minister President of Austria from 1893 to 1895 and served as President of the Upper Chamber. The couple had four children of which the daughter, Countess Marianne (1911–1988), was the mother of

Princess Michael of Kent Princess Michael of Kent (born Baroness Marie-Christine Anna Agnes Hedwig Ida von Reibnitz, 15 January 1945) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Michael of Kent, who is a grandson of George V, King George V. Prince ...

. Following studies in law, Count Szapáry joined the

Austro-Hungarian foreign service The Austro-Hungarian Foreign Service () was the diplomatic service carrying out the foreign policy of the Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from the formation of the Dual Monarchy in 1867 until it was dissolved in 1918. Diplomatic missions ...

and began his diplomatic career in 1895 as an attaché in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, followed by postings in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

in 1899 and

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in 1903. In 1907, he returned to Vienna to serve in the Foreign Ministry at the

Ballhausplatz Ballhausplatz is a town square, square in central Vienna containing the building (with the address Ballhausplatz 2) that for over two hundred years has been the official residence of the most senior Austrian Cabinet Minister, the State Chancellor ...

and made a rapid career. Considered a rising star he was appointed as

chef de cabinet In some Francophone countries and international organisations, a ( French; literally 'head of office') is a senior official working for a high-ranking political or administrative figure such as a government minister. They are typically responsib ...

to Foreign Minister Count Lexa von Aehrenthal in December 1909, a post that allowed him to exercise considerable influence over policy-making. Considered a protégé of Aehrenthal, he belonged to a group of younger diplomats (together with Count von Hoyos and Count von Forgách) who believed that the Dual Monarchy could only be saved from disintegration by a more aggressive and dynamic foreign policy. During the Balkan crisis, he had favoured armed intervention against

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

. In April 1912, he was appointed to Second Section Chief, which was equivalent to head of the Political Section, in a period of international turmoil. Described as "gifted, quick, hard-working, and a bit mysterious", Aehrenthal's successor

Count Berchtold Leopold Anton Johann Sigismund Josef Korsinus Ferdinand Graf Berchtold von und zu Ungarschitz, Frättling und Püllütz (, ) (18 April 1863 – 21 November 1942) was an Austro-Hungarian politician, diplomat and statesman who served as Imperial ...

lauded him as for "his outstanding skill in handling political issues and his judgment which far exceeded the norm". Austrian Embassy Sergievskaya 1914 5a Facade

Austrian Embassy Sergievskaya 1914 5a Facade

On 1 October 1913, Count Szapáry was appointed as ambassador at

which was significant in the sense that he was considered a

Russophobe Anti-Russian sentiment or Russophobia is the dislike or fear of Russia, Russians, Russian people, or Culture of Russia, Russian culture. The opposite of Russophobia is Russophilia. Historically, Russophobia has included state-sponsored and gr ...

and was far less willing to accommodate the Russians than his predecessor had been. However, he did not arrive until early the following year and he presented his credentials to the

Tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...

first on 14 February 1914. Due to pressing family matters, he had to leave within two weeks and returned to St. Petersburg in mid-April, staying until late May. He returned only in mid-July which meant that the Dual Monarchy lacked its chief diplomat in the Russian capital during the Sarajevo crisis, daily business being conducted by Count Czernin as chargé d'affaires. Once back to St. Petersburg on 17 July, Count Szapáry came to play a significant role. At a diplomatic reception on 21 July, he had a sharp exchange with the visiting French President

Poincaré Poincaré is a French surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Henri Poincaré Jules Henri Poincaré (, ; ; 29 April 185417 July 1912) was a French mathematician, Theoretical physics, theoretical physicist, engineer, and philos ...

and he held several meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sazonov over the following days.For an account of the meetings, see for example Clive Ponting, ''Thirteen days: diplomacy and disaster'', London, Pimlico, 2002. However, as war proved inevitable it eventually fell upon him to deliver the Austro-Hungarian declaration of war against Russia on 6 August, whereupon he left St. Petersburg. In 1915, he became a member of the Upper House (''Herrenhaus''), but played no further major role during the war. He was the maternal grandfather of

. Count Szapáry died in Vienna on 18 March 1935.

Notes

Works

* 'Das Verhältnis österreich-Ungarns zu Russland' in Eduard Ritter von Steinitz (ed.), ''Rings um Sasonow'', Berlin, Verlag für Kulturpolitik, 1928. * 'Aus den Krisenjahren 1908 bis 1913', in Eduard Ritter von Steinitz (ed.), ''Erinnerungen an Franz Joseph I'', Berlin, Verlag für Kulturpolitik, 1931.

References

External links

* ww.oocities.org/veldes1/szecsen.html 'Friedrich Graf Szápáry von Muraszombat, Szechysziget, und Szápár', Solving Problems Through Forcebr>'Szapáry Frigyes, gróf', Magyar Életrajzi Lexikon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Szapary, Friedrich Von 1869 births 1935 deaths Diplomats of World War I from Austria-Hungary Diplomats from Austria-Hungary 20th-century Austrian diplomats Hungarian diplomats Hungarian nobility Frigyes Knights of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary Ambassadors of Austria-Hungary to Russia