The family of Prince Gorchakov for many generations occupied one of the leading places in the political life of the Russian Empire. The family of Alexander Mikhailovich includes many famous personalities, including among the Rurikovich and Olgovich. Since 1871, Gorchakov himself held the title of Most Serene. He was a prominent person in higher circles, and also made friends with Alexander Sergeyevich 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 in an extremely wealthy and influential family. His father was also a prince with the rank of major general, and his mother was a baroness in a second marriage. Elena Ferzen had another son, Karl, from his first husband. He suffered from mental illness and married the aunt of Leo Tolstoy.
Alexander Mikhailovich received his primary education in Tsarskoye Selo. In 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 world friend," as well as a "brilliant observer of customs." Friends characterized the activist as a successful diplomat, possessing all the qualities necessary for this work. Alexander received not only a good professional education, but also gained a high level of literary literacy, for which the man was especially appreciated in the circle of the upper classes.
A brief biography of Prince Gorchakov at the beginning of the service
The young aristocrat was awarded his first rank at the age of 21 - even then he was considered a chamber junker. And in the early 20s 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 of the Ambassador to Great Britain, where he served brilliantly for 5 years.
With promotion, the young prince visited as a diplomat in almost all the leading countries of Europe, including 5 years living in Vienna. Perhaps it was from there that an incomprehensible francophilism 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 the rank of which he lived for the next 12 years. This situation benefited Alexander Mikhailovich, and also allowed him to observe the progress of the revolution in the southern part of Germany.
By 1950, he received the post of authorized minister at the German Sejm in Frankfurt. This was one of the most important stages in the formation of Prince Gorchakov. It was at this time that the diplomat agreed in the interests of the future German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Together, they headed for the rapprochement of the two great empires. Gorchakov was a supporter of Western cooperation and did not share Nikolai’s aspirations for conquest in the East.
Betrayal of Austria and the Crimean War
The middle of 1854 was associated with major changes in the life of Prince Gorchakov. At first he was transferred to the Meyendorf 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 backtracked and amazed everyone with its turn in the opposite direction, speaking 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 peace at the Paris Congress in 1856. The conditions were ultimate, but still reasonable, even despite the fact of the fall of Sevastopol and the serious weakening of the Russian Empire.
Gorchakov’s activities as a minister
After the signing of the Paris Peace of 1856, Russia was for a long time thrown back far in Western European affairs. Along with this, in March of the same year, former Foreign Minister Earl Nesselrod resigned, and His Grace 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-made minister had only two tasks: to avenge 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 debate about Russia's position on the world stage. One of his most accurate statements was that "Russia is focusing." By 1859, the position had radically changed - now imperial ambitions could again dictate certain conditions to Western countries. The state was seriously strengthened and was able to recover after 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 participating in the war against it on the side of Napoleon III.
The role of Gorchakov in the Polish question
One of the most acute problems that impeded the rapprochement of the governments of Napoleon III and the Russian Empire was the Polish question, which made it possible to consolidate relations worsened over time with Prussia. Bismarck, from the time he came 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 strengthened the mutual support of the two states. The confrontation of France forced the German government to hold on tightly to its eastern partner, but Russia had many opportunities for maneuver and could choose partners for itself. Gorchakov did not see the point of alliance with anyone else except Germany.
Thanks to the efforts of the Russian government, Austria was able to maintain its statehood and strengthen 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.
However, the defeat of France meant a significant change in the relationship between Bismarck and Alexander Gorchakov. The influence of Germany was growing, which cast doubt on 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 profitable cooperation.
Personal life
The biography of Prince Gorchakov was full of historical events and incredible meetings. Nevertheless, he married only to the age of 40 with Maria Alexandrovna Musina-Pushkina. The eldest son from this marriage, Michael, also received the post of diplomat and served in Spain, Saxony and Switzerland. Photos of Prince Gorchakov are few - mostly the aristocrat preferred portraits.