TY - JOUR AU - Khavanova, Olga PY - 2022/06/16 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Count Ludwig von Zinzendorf’s Diplomatic Mission to Saint Petersburg in 1755 JF - Historical Studies on Central Europe JA - hsce VL - 2 IS - 1 SE - Nobility in Action II DO - 10.47074/HSCE.2022-1.04 UR - https://ojs.elte.hu/hsce/article/view/3356 SP - 69-91 AB - <p>Count Ludwig von Zinzendorf is first and foremost known as an outstanding Austrian<br>economist who greatly contributed to the national reform of finances and administrative efficiency.<br>The early years of his career were spent in the diplomatic service under the guidance and patronage<br>of Count Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz, who placed much hope in the ambitious young aristocrat. One<br>of the significant episodes of Zinzendorf’s diplomatic career was a mission to Russia in 1755. Its<br>formal pretext was to convey the congratulations of the imperial couple to Empress Elizabeth I on the<br>birth of the heir to the throne, Grand Duke Paul. At the same time, Zinzendorf was entrusted with a<br>secret mission of learning more about the main vectors of Russian foreign policy, establishing more<br>confidential relations with the rival groupings at the St. Petersburg court, and promoting closer joint<br>action between Vienna, London, and St. Petersburg against Prussia in the inevitable continental<br>war. The witty analytical mind and exceptional sociability of Zinzendorf allowed him to accomplish<br>both missions brilliantly, the results of which he reported to Kaunitz. This paper considers both the<br>official and unofficial activities of the imperial and Austrian envoy during his visit, the complications<br>he faced, and the solutions he found during his two journeys to Russia in 1755 against the backdrop<br>of Austrian-Russian relations in their heyday on the eve of the Seven Years’ War.</p> ER -