Beust. Friedrieh Ferdinand von, count, a German statesman, born in Dresden. Jan 13, 1809. He studied political science at Gottingen under Heeren. Sartorius. and Eichhorn. and in 1831 and the following years was employed in the Saxon ministry of foreign affairs. Between 1836 and 1849 he was secretary of legation in Berlin and Paris, charge d'affaires in Munich, minister resident in London, and ambassador in Berlin. He became Saxon minister of foreign affairs Feb. 24, 1849. He opposed the proclamation in Saxony of the German constitution of March 28, promulgated by the Frankfort parliament, and on the outbreak of an insurrection in Dresden invoked the assistance of Prussia, and accompanied the king in his flight from the capital. On May 14, after the quelling of the outbreak, be was also made minister of ecclesiastical affairs. He agreed with Prussia to join the so called Dreikonigsbund, or union of the three kings of North Germany, but withdrew from this engagement, subsequently favored an alliance with Austria, and adopted a policy more and more reactionary.

In 1853 he exchanged the portfolio of ecclesiastical affairs for that of the interior department, retaining at the same time the minitry of foreign affairs: and soon afterward he became the official chief of the cabinet, after having for a long time virtually ruled its council-. During the Crimean war he declined to join Austria, Prussia, and the German diet in a demonstration against Russia, and prevailed upon the minor German states to associate themselves with Saxony at the conference of Bamberg with a view to forming an independent union. At that period and for some time afterward he cherished the idea of reorganizing Germany on the basis of three groups (die Trias), formed by Austria. Prussia, and all the other German states under the lead of* the German diet. He was confirmed in this project in 1805 when the diet came forward for the first time as a distinct ereign power by appointing him its ambassador at the Schleswig-IIolstein conference in London, where he opposed all tampering with the duchies against the wishes of the inhabitants.

Henceforward identified with Austria, whose counsels swayed the German diet, he was regarded as one- of the principal instigators of the war with Prussia. He was obliged to withdraw from the Saxon ministry after the battle of Sadowa. and on the recommendation of the king and crown prince of Saxony was appointed by Francis Joseph - or of Count Mensdorff as Austrian minister of foreign affairs. Oct. 80, 1800. Shortly afterward he spent some time in Pesth, where he concerted with the Hungarian statesmen the plan of a dualistic Au-tro-IJungarian empire: and in June, 1807. on the coronation of Francis Joseph as king of Hungary, he was rewarded with the office of chancellor of the empire, in 1808 with the title of count, and in 1870 with the chancellorship of the order of Maria Theresa, which had been vacant since the death of Metternich. He was thus, though a Protes-tant, placed at the helm of affairs in the empire of the Hapsburgs. The concordat with Pome abrogated and other important liberal reforms were carried through under Beast's administration; and it was chiefly due to his influence thai Austria maintained peace with foreign powers, and became apparently recon-oiled with Prussia at the end of the Franco-German war.

His persevering efforts to effect harmonious union between the non-German and German elements of the empire, as well as his opposition to the ultramontane party and the jealousies excited by his all-controlling Influence, involved him in many difficulties, which terminated with his resignation in November, 1871. (Sec Austria, vol. ii., pp. 146-149.) The emperor in a complimentary letter thanked him warmly for his past services, and appointed him a member for life of the upper chamber of the imperial diet. In December, 1871, he was appointed Anstro-IIungarian ambassador in London. - See Ending, Friedrich Ferdinand, Graf von Beust, sein Leben und vornehmlich sein staatsmdnnisches Wirken (2 vols., Leipsic, 1870).