Abstract

The Count of Daun's Mission in Brussels 1725. A Turning Point in the Government of the Austrian Netherlands

This paper focuses on the importance of the term of office of Wirich Count of Daun as interim governor-general in the Austrian Netherlands in 1725. It is argued that the reforms which he helped to carry out during his governorship, were crucial for the maintenance of the authority of the Austrian central government in Brussels. The first decade of Austrian rule in the Southern Netherlands ended with the failure of the central advisory institution, the Council of State, and the conspiracy against the Marquis de Prié, minister plenipotentiary and as such the representative of Governor-General Eugene of Savoy. For that reason, besides the normal duties for a newly appointed governor, Daun was ordered to prepare the arrival of Archduchess Maria Elisabeth, sister of Emperor Charles VI. As governess-general, she would take office in the autumn of 1725. With her appointment, the Emperor wanted to tie in with the old tradition of governors of royal blood residing in the Southern Netherlands. Daun had to organize the court and household of the Archduchess. His second special task was to take information in order to reform the central institutional system if necessary. During his term of office, the Council of State was replaced by the age-old system of three Collateral Councils in Brussels, which had been abolished in 1702. Both special commissions – organizing the court and reforming the institutional apparatus – aimed at re-establishing the authority of the central government. Special attention was given to the high nobility, which was frustrated by the unpopular Marquis de Prié. The Emperor integrated them into the household of his sister in order to guarantee their loyalty. Therefore, the reforms carried out in 1725 were of utmost importance for the consolidation of the Austrian rule in the Southern Netherlands.