See I. V. Mushketov, _Geol. Researches in the Kalmyk Steppe in
1884-1885_ (St Petersburg, 1894, in Russian); Kostenkov's works
(1868-1870); and other works quoted in Semenov's _Geogr. Dict._ and
_Russ. Encycl. Dict._ (P. A. K.; J. T. Be.)
KALNOKY, GUSTAV SIEGMUND, COUNT (1832-1898), Austro-Hungarian statesman,
was born at Lettowitz, in Moravia, on the 29th of December 1832, of an
old Transylvanian family which had held countly rank in Hungary from the
17th century. After spending some years in a hussar regiment, in 1854 he
entered the diplomatic service without giving up his connexion with the
army, in which he reached the rank of general in 1879. He was for the
ten years 1860 to 1870 secretary of embassy at London, and then, after
serving at Rome and Copenhagen, was in 1880 appointed ambassador at St
Petersburg. His success in Russia procured for him, on the death of
Baron v. Haymerle in 1881, the appointment of minister of foreign
affairs for Austria-Hungary, a post which he held for fourteen years.
Essentially a diplomatist, he took little or no part in the vexed
internal affairs of the Dual Monarchy, and he came little before the
public except at the annual statement on foreign affairs before the
Delegations. His management of the affairs of his department was,
however, very successful; he confirmed and maintained the alliance with
Germany, which had been formed by his predecessors, and co-operated with
Bismarck in the arrangements by which Italy joined the alliance.
Kalnoky's special influence was seen in the improvement of Austrian
relations with Russia, following on the meeting of the three emperors in
September 1884 at Skiernevice, at which he was present. His Russophile
policy caused some adverse criticism in Hungary. His friendliness for
Russia did not, however, prevent him from strengthening the position of
Austria as against Russia in the Balkan Peninsula by the establishment
of a closer political and commercial understanding with Servia and
Rumania. In 1885 he interfered after the battle of Slivnitza to arrest
the advance of the Bulgarians on Belgrade, but he lost influence in
Servia after the abdication of King Milan. Though he kept aloof from the
Clerical party, Kalnoky was a strong Catholic; and his sympathy for the
difficulties of the Church caused adverse comment in Italy, when, in
1891, he stated in a speech before the Delegations that the question of
the position of the pope was still unsettled. He subsequently explained
that by this he did not refer to the Roman question, which was
permanently settled, but to the possibility of the pope leaving Rome.
The jealousy felt in Hungary against the Ultramontanes led to his fall.
In 1895 a case of clerical interference in the internal affairs of
Hungary by the nuncio Agliardi aroused a strong protest in the Hungarian
parliament, and consequent differences between Banffy, the Hungarian
minister, and the minister for foreign affairs led to Kalnoky's
resignation.
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