Kajetan von Mérey
Encyclopedia
Kajetan Mérey von Kapos-Mére (16 January 1861 – 2 February 1932), was an Austro-Hungarian
diplomat of Hungarian origin serving as Ambassador at Rome
at the outbreak of World War I
.
on 16 January 1861 into a family belonging to the lower echelons of the Hungarian nobility as son of banking expert Alexander Mérey von Kapos-Mére (1834–1927).
Educated at the Theresian Military Academy
, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1883 but after successfully passing the entrance exam for the diplomatic corps in 1885, he was dispatched as attaché to Belgrade
and then the following year to Bucharest
. In 1891, he was sent to serve at the embassy in Paris
and then to Constantinople (now Istanbul
) in 1893.
In 1895, von Mérey was selected by Count Goluchowski to serve as deputy chef de cabinet
, but was promoted already the same year to chef de cabinet. In 1899, he served as a member of the Austro-Hungarian delegation to the First Hague Peace Conference. In 1903, he was appointed a Privy Councillor (Geheimer Rat). In March 1904, he was nominated to the post of First Section Chief in the Foreign Ministry but was relieved in February 1907 and appointed Austro-Hungarian chief delegate to the Second Hague Peace Conference.
On 4 March 1910, von Mérey was selected by Count Lexa von Aehrenthal to succeed Count von Lützow as ambassador at the Italian Royal Court. Known for his great intelligence and precision as well as for being hard-working and well-informed, qualities that had made him indispensable at the Ballhausplatz
, he was, however, somewhat less well-placed for this new posting. Considered rather cold and austere, he often left the impression in the eyes of his contemporaries of a "pedantic, tactless, and ill-humoured bureaucrat". Although impressed by the southern lifestyle, he lacked the ease and affable charm of his predecessor and thus failed to capture the sympathy of the Italians. Well aware of the difficult and complex relationship between Austria-Hungary and Italy, he tried, however, to improve the relations. In the disputes between Count Lexa von Aehrenthal and General Conrad von Hötzendorf, the Chief of the General Staff, he took the latter's side but found his position increasingly untenable after Count Berchtold became Imperial Foreign Minister in 1912. During the Balkan crisis
in 1912/1913, he saw the storm on the horizon and sent warnings to Vienna of an imminent armed conflict.
Upon hearing of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
in Sarajevo in June 1914, he suffered a nervous breakdown. During this critical moment, there was little time to lose and Count Berchtold therefore dispatched his First Section Chief Baron von Macchio to assume von Mérey's duties. Baron von Macchio arrived on 11 August to Rome and served in this capacity until the Italian declaration of war on 23 May 1915, although he never officially replaced him. He retired on 2 November 1918.
After his return to Vienna he took over the Italian department at the Foreign Ministry and was appointed in December 1917 to lead the Austro-Hungarian delegation during the peace negotiations in Brest-Litovsk that led to the signing of the peace treaty
on 3 March 1918.
Playing no further role after the war, von Mérey died in Vienna on 2 February 1931.
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
diplomat of Hungarian origin serving as Ambassador at Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
at the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Life
Born in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
on 16 January 1861 into a family belonging to the lower echelons of the Hungarian nobility as son of banking expert Alexander Mérey von Kapos-Mére (1834–1927).
Educated at the Theresian Military Academy
Theresian Military Academy
The Theresian Military Academy is an academy, where the Austrian Armed Forces train their officers. The Academy is located in the castle of Wiener Neustadt in Lower Austria.- History :...
, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1883 but after successfully passing the entrance exam for the diplomatic corps in 1885, he was dispatched as attaché to Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
and then the following year to Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. In 1891, he was sent to serve at the embassy in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and then to Constantinople (now Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
) in 1893.
In 1895, von Mérey was selected by Count Goluchowski to serve as deputy chef de cabinet
Chef de Cabinet
Chef de Cabinet is the head of an office in the United Nations Secretariat, appointed by the Secretary-General, or in the European Commission, appointed by an individual European Commissioner for his personal cabinet. The position's rank and responsibilities are equivalent to a chief of staff....
, but was promoted already the same year to chef de cabinet. In 1899, he served as a member of the Austro-Hungarian delegation to the First Hague Peace Conference. In 1903, he was appointed a Privy Councillor (Geheimer Rat). In March 1904, he was nominated to the post of First Section Chief in the Foreign Ministry but was relieved in February 1907 and appointed Austro-Hungarian chief delegate to the Second Hague Peace Conference.
On 4 March 1910, von Mérey was selected by Count Lexa von Aehrenthal to succeed Count von Lützow as ambassador at the Italian Royal Court. Known for his great intelligence and precision as well as for being hard-working and well-informed, qualities that had made him indispensable at the Ballhausplatz
Ballhausplatz
Ballhausplatz is a square in central Vienna containing the building that for over two hundred years has been the official residence of the most senior Austrian Cabinet Minister, the State Chancellor, today the Chancellor of Austria . As a result, Ballhausplatz is often used as shorthand for the...
, he was, however, somewhat less well-placed for this new posting. Considered rather cold and austere, he often left the impression in the eyes of his contemporaries of a "pedantic, tactless, and ill-humoured bureaucrat". Although impressed by the southern lifestyle, he lacked the ease and affable charm of his predecessor and thus failed to capture the sympathy of the Italians. Well aware of the difficult and complex relationship between Austria-Hungary and Italy, he tried, however, to improve the relations. In the disputes between Count Lexa von Aehrenthal and General Conrad von Hötzendorf, the Chief of the General Staff, he took the latter's side but found his position increasingly untenable after Count Berchtold became Imperial Foreign Minister in 1912. During the Balkan crisis
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
in 1912/1913, he saw the storm on the horizon and sent warnings to Vienna of an imminent armed conflict.
Upon hearing of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Franz Ferdinand was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Austro-Hungarian and Royal Prince of Hungary and of Bohemia, and from 1889 until his death, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. His assassination in Sarajevo precipitated Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia...
in Sarajevo in June 1914, he suffered a nervous breakdown. During this critical moment, there was little time to lose and Count Berchtold therefore dispatched his First Section Chief Baron von Macchio to assume von Mérey's duties. Baron von Macchio arrived on 11 August to Rome and served in this capacity until the Italian declaration of war on 23 May 1915, although he never officially replaced him. He retired on 2 November 1918.
After his return to Vienna he took over the Italian department at the Foreign Ministry and was appointed in December 1917 to lead the Austro-Hungarian delegation during the peace negotiations in Brest-Litovsk that led to the signing of the peace treaty
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...
on 3 March 1918.
Playing no further role after the war, von Mérey died in Vienna on 2 February 1931.