Brühl, Heinrich, Graf von

Brühl, Heinrich, Graf von (hīn'rikh gräf' fun brül) [key], 1700–1763, Saxon statesman. He was adviser to Augustus II, king of Poland and elector of Saxony, and gained control of both governments after the accession (1733) of Augustus III. Brühl advanced the economic and cultural development of Saxony but did not succeed in making the Polish crown hereditary with the Saxon rulers. An able diplomat, he neglected Saxon military potential and sought powerful allies. When King Frederick II of Prussia made (1756) a surprise attack on Saxony, initiating the Seven Years War in Europe, Brühl fled with his king to Poland. There he remained throughout the war, while Frederick exploited Saxony. Charges that Brühl amassed his fortune through fraud have not been proved.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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