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Alexander von Benckendorff (diplomat)

January 07, 2023

Count Alexander Philipp Konstantin Ludwig von Benckendorff (Russian: Александр Константинович Бенкендорф, Alexander Konstantinovich Benkendorf; 1 August 1849 – 11 January 1917) was a Russian diplomat, of Baltic German heritage, who served as ambassador to Denmark and the United Kingdom.

Count Benckendorff

Biography

He was born in 1849, the son of Count Konstantin Alexander Karl Wilhelm Maximilian von Benckendorff (22 October 1816, Berlin – 29 January 1858, Paris) and wife (20 June 1848, Potsdam) Princess Louise Constantine Nathalie Johanne de Croy-Dülmen (2 November 1825, Anholt – 8 January 1890, Meran), grandson of General Count Konstantin von Benckendorff and grandnephew of General Count Alexander von Benckendorff. He also the second cousin of Archduchess Isabella of Teschen through his mother's family.

Alexander Konstantinovich was educated in France and Germany before entering the diplomatic service in 1869. He began as an attaché in Florence, and eventually served in Rome. He resigned in 1876 and lived nearly ten years on his estates, in St. Petersburg and abroad. Returning to diplomacy in 1886, he became First Secretary at the Embassy in Vienna, and from 1897 to 1903 he was the Ambassador to Denmark. The Copenhagen post gave him a vantage point for watching the principal moving powers of European politics since the matrimonial alliances of the Danish royal family occasionally brought together in a friendly family circle the widow of Alexander III, Nicholas II and the Prince of Wales who was to become King Edward VII. In this way, Count Benckendorff received his initiation into the spirit of an Anglo-Russian rapprochement even before it actually resulted in an entente.

From 1903 until his death in 1917, he was the Ambassador to the Court of St. James's, the chief Russian diplomat in the United Kingdom. His major achievement was to organize the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente in 1907, which solidified relations between the two nations and helped create the Triple Entente, which, unlike the Triple Alliance or the Franco-Russian Alliance itself, was not an alliance of mutual defense. This broad diplomatic alignment would later form the Allied Powers of the First World War. He also formally proposed the agenda for the Second Hague Conference of 1907.[1]

Death

Alexander von Benckendorff died on 11 January 1917 from influenza[2][3] and was buried in Westminster Cathedral, where he had worshipped weekly. Benckendorff was a convert to Roman Catholicism from Lutheranism.[4]

Family

Alexander married on 16 October 1879 in St. Petersburg Countess Sophie Shuvalova (16 October 1857, St. Petersburg – 28 May 1928, Ipswich), granddaughter of Lev Naryshkin and Olga Potocka. They had three children:

  • Count Constantine Alexandrovich (15 September 1880 – 25 September 1959); married in 1922 to Maria Korchinska, had issue.
  • Count Peter Alexandrovich (19 January 1882 – 27 May 1915); married in 1909 to Elena Naryshkina, no issue.
  • Countess Nathalie Louise Alexandrovna (20 May 1886 – 14 March 1968); married in 1911 to Hon. Sir Jasper Nicholas Ridley, had issue.

Alexander's daughter Nathalie married Sir Jasper Nicholas Ridley, and they had five children. Their son Jasper Maurice Alexander Ridley (20 April 1913, London – 13 December 1943, Killed in Italy) married Helen Laura Cressida Bonham Carter (22 April 1917, London – 10 June 1998, Salisbury), the granddaughter of former British Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith. Jasper Maurice was also the father of economist Adam Ridley.[5]

The eldest son Constantine married harpist Maria Korchinska.[6] A younger son Peter was killed in one of the first battles of World War I on the East Prussian front.

Honours and awards

Russian

Foreign

References

  • Obituary: p. 153-4, The Annual Register: a review of public events at home and abroad, for the year 1917. London: Longmans, Green and Co. 1918.

  • Vinogradoff, Paul (1922). "Benckendorff, Alexander, Count" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 30 (12th ed.). London & New York: The Encyclopædia Britannica Company.
Sources
  1. ^ A Pearce Higgins, "The Hague Peace Conferences", (Cambridge: Cambridge U.P., 1999), pp. 53–5.
  2. ^ "The lamplighters of London". Embassy Network. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  3. ^ Oxford, John S.; Gill, Douglas (23 May 2019). "A possible European origin of the Spanish influenza and the first attempts to reduce mortality to combat superinfecting bacteria: an opinion from a virologist and a military historian". Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics. 15 (9): 2009–2012. doi:10.1080/21645515.2019.1607711. ISSN 2164-5515. PMC 6773402. PMID 31121112.
  4. ^ Mark Langham (14 December 2007). "Solomon, I Have Surpassed Thee: The Russian in the Crypt". Westminstercathedral.blogspot.com.br. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  5. ^ Charles Mosley, ed., Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, vol. 1 (Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage, 1999), p. 30
  6. ^ "Obituary: Nathalie Brooke, a leading figure in the preservation of Venice". www.theartnewspaper.com. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  7. ^ The London Gazette, issue 28082, p. 7895

Further reading

  • Lundy, Darryl (20 June 2005). "Alexander Graf von Benckendorff". peerage.com. p. 9760 §97593.
  • "DNB, Katalog der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek" (in German). Portal.dnb.de. Retrieved 1 February 2014.

January 07, 2023
alexander, benckendorff, diplomat, count, alexander, philipp, konstantin, ludwig, benckendorff, russian, Александр, Константинович, Бенкендорф, alexander, konstantinovich, benkendorf, august, 1849, january, 1917, russian, diplomat, baltic, german, heritage, se. Count Alexander Philipp Konstantin Ludwig von Benckendorff Russian Aleksandr Konstantinovich Benkendorf Alexander Konstantinovich Benkendorf 1 August 1849 11 January 1917 was a Russian diplomat of Baltic German heritage who served as ambassador to Denmark and the United Kingdom Count Benckendorff Contents 1 Biography 2 Death 3 Family 4 Honours and awards 4 1 Russian 4 2 Foreign 5 References 6 Further readingBiography EditHe was born in 1849 the son of Count Konstantin Alexander Karl Wilhelm Maximilian von Benckendorff 22 October 1816 Berlin 29 January 1858 Paris and wife 20 June 1848 Potsdam Princess Louise Constantine Nathalie Johanne de Croy Dulmen 2 November 1825 Anholt 8 January 1890 Meran grandson of General Count Konstantin von Benckendorff and grandnephew of General Count Alexander von Benckendorff He also the second cousin of Archduchess Isabella of Teschen through his mother s family Alexander Konstantinovich was educated in France and Germany before entering the diplomatic service in 1869 He began as an attache in Florence and eventually served in Rome He resigned in 1876 and lived nearly ten years on his estates in St Petersburg and abroad Returning to diplomacy in 1886 he became First Secretary at the Embassy in Vienna and from 1897 to 1903 he was the Ambassador to Denmark The Copenhagen post gave him a vantage point for watching the principal moving powers of European politics since the matrimonial alliances of the Danish royal family occasionally brought together in a friendly family circle the widow of Alexander III Nicholas II and the Prince of Wales who was to become King Edward VII In this way Count Benckendorff received his initiation into the spirit of an Anglo Russian rapprochement even before it actually resulted in an entente From 1903 until his death in 1917 he was the Ambassador to the Court of St James s the chief Russian diplomat in the United Kingdom His major achievement was to organize the signing of the Anglo Russian Entente in 1907 which solidified relations between the two nations and helped create the Triple Entente which unlike the Triple Alliance or the Franco Russian Alliance itself was not an alliance of mutual defense This broad diplomatic alignment would later form the Allied Powers of the First World War He also formally proposed the agenda for the Second Hague Conference of 1907 1 Death EditAlexander von Benckendorff died on 11 January 1917 from influenza 2 3 and was buried in Westminster Cathedral where he had worshipped weekly Benckendorff was a convert to Roman Catholicism from Lutheranism 4 Family EditAlexander married on 16 October 1879 in St Petersburg Countess Sophie Shuvalova 16 October 1857 St Petersburg 28 May 1928 Ipswich granddaughter of Lev Naryshkin and Olga Potocka They had three children Count Constantine Alexandrovich 15 September 1880 25 September 1959 married in 1922 to Maria Korchinska had issue Count Peter Alexandrovich 19 January 1882 27 May 1915 married in 1909 to Elena Naryshkina no issue Countess Nathalie Louise Alexandrovna 20 May 1886 14 March 1968 married in 1911 to Hon Sir Jasper Nicholas Ridley had issue Alexander s daughter Nathalie married Sir Jasper Nicholas Ridley and they had five children Their son Jasper Maurice Alexander Ridley 20 April 1913 London 13 December 1943 Killed in Italy married Helen Laura Cressida Bonham Carter 22 April 1917 London 10 June 1998 Salisbury the granddaughter of former British Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith Jasper Maurice was also the father of economist Adam Ridley 5 The eldest son Constantine married harpist Maria Korchinska 6 A younger son Peter was killed in one of the first battles of World War I on the East Prussian front Honours and awards EditRussian Edit Order of St Alexander Nevsky with diamonds for ex zealous service Order of the White Eagle Order of St Vladimir 2nd and 3rd classes Order of St Anna 1st degree Order of St Stanislaus 1st degreeForeign Edit United Kingdom Honorary Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order 18 November 1907 7 References EditObituary p 153 4 The Annual Register a review of public events at home and abroad for the year 1917 London Longmans Green and Co 1918 Vinogradoff Paul 1922 Benckendorff Alexander Count In Chisholm Hugh ed Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 30 12th ed London amp New York The Encyclopaedia Britannica Company Sources A Pearce Higgins The Hague Peace Conferences Cambridge Cambridge U P 1999 pp 53 5 The lamplighters of London Embassy Network 30 October 2015 Retrieved 5 August 2020 Oxford John S Gill Douglas 23 May 2019 A possible European origin of the Spanish influenza and the first attempts to reduce mortality to combat superinfecting bacteria an opinion from a virologist and a military historian Human Vaccines amp Immunotherapeutics 15 9 2009 2012 doi 10 1080 21645515 2019 1607711 ISSN 2164 5515 PMC 6773402 PMID 31121112 Mark Langham 14 December 2007 Solomon I Have Surpassed Thee The Russian in the Crypt Westminstercathedral blogspot com br Retrieved 10 February 2020 Charles Mosley ed Burke s Peerage and Baronetage 106th edition vol 1 Crans Switzerland Burke s Peerage 1999 p 30 Obituary Nathalie Brooke a leading figure in the preservation of Venice www theartnewspaper com 25 October 2019 Retrieved 5 August 2020 The London Gazette issue 28082 p 7895Further reading EditLundy Darryl 20 June 2005 Alexander Graf von Benckendorff peerage com p 9760 97593 DNB Katalog der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek in German Portal dnb de Retrieved 1 February 2014 https web archive org web 20140222234049 http www idref fr 081025262 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alexander von Benckendorff diplomat amp oldid 1126078539, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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