August von Münstermann

August Ritter von Münstermann
Official portrait of August von Münstermann
35th Chancellor of Werania
In office 5 July 1963 – 25 April 1966
Monarch	Otto XII
Preceded by	Adolf Stahl
Succeeded by	Rudolf Wiefelspütz
Vice-Chancellor of Werania
In office 16 March 1960 – 5 July 1963
Chancellor	Adolf Stahl
Preceded by	tba
Succeeded by	tba
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 18 August 1955 – 5 July 1963
Chancellor	Konstantin Vogel Adolf Stahl
Preceded by	tba
Succeeded by	tba
Personal details
Born	(1902-06-13)13 June 1902 Schatzendorf, Cislania, Werania
Died	24 March 1984(1984-03-24) (aged 81) Westbrücken, Werania
Political party	NLP, NKP
Spouse	Luise Norden
Children	4
Alma mater	University of Ludwigheim
Military career
Allegiance	Werania
Service/branch	Army
Years of service	1924-1925; 1928-1933
Rank	Gefreiter
Battles/wars	Great War

August Ritter von Münstermann (13 June 1902 - 24 March 1984) was a Weranian politician and civil servant who served as the 35th Chancellor of Werania from July 1963 to April 1966. He also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from August 1955 to July 1963 and Vice-Chancellor from March 1960 to July 1963.

Von Münstermann initially studied to become an economist but was enlisted during the Great War. He was retired out of service after being wounded and subsequently worked as a civil servant in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After the war he remained a civil servant in the foreign office before moving into active politics in 1946 being elected as a member of the Volkstag for the National Liberal Party. In 1955 he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs by Chancellor Konstantin Vogel, a position he held for eight years. He was vice-chancellor in the cabinet of Adolf Stahl before becoming Chancellor in 1963 after Stahl resigned due to difficulties working within a minority government. As Chancellor von Münstermann largely focused on foreign affairs being an advocate of close inter-Euclean cooperation. He also controversially promoted good relations with Etruria, then a pariah state. He was forced to resign when he had difficulties gaining votes for his budget within minority government.

A liberal conservative von Münstermann is mostly remembered for his staunch efforts to promote the Euclean Community in Werania and work towards "deep integration" both during his time as foreign minister and Chancellor. Von Münstermann was the last member of the National Liberal Party to serve as Chancellor (albeit during his Chancellorship he was a member of the National Consolidation Party; the NLP had merged into the NKP in 1957).

Early years

Childhood and education

The son of a brewery owner, August von Münstermann was born in 1902 in Schatzendorf, a small village in central Cislania. His father came from a long line of brewers whilst his mother was part Hennish, part Estmerish with the household speaking a mixture of Weranic and Estmerish. Considered a bright child (it was remarked that von Münstermann had a photographic memory) his family were lapsed Catholics with his mother working as a female suffrage activist. He was the family's third child and second boy, referring later that during his childhood that his parents treated their children at an arms length.

Von Münstermann's died when he was 18 with his older brother Karl inheriting the brewery, offering von Münstermann the opportunity to work a co-owner. Von Münstermann at the insistence of his mother declined instead attending the University of Ludwigheim studying law. After graduating he spent a year in the Weranian military as part of national service from 1924 to 1925.

Military career

Von Münstermann (far-right) in the Weranian Army in 1930.

In 1928 von Münstermann was enlisted into the Weranian Army again during the Great War. He served as a signals officer in the 96th division, serving during the retreat from Longwood with Estmerish forces. He was wounded by an artillery barrage in 1933 and reassigned as an interpreter at staff offices for the reminder of the war. As a result of his injury parts of his face had to be reconstructed; although much of his face was managed to be saved his left eye had to be removed leading to him to wear a glass eye. Following the war he was discharged from the army with the rank of a gefreiter.

Civil service

After the Great War von Münstermann passed a civil service exam to enter the foreign ministry. Being fluent in Estmerish, Gaullican and Etrurian he was assigned to the colonial office where he played a role in helping draft policy proposals regarding the integration of former Gaullican colonies into the Weranic Empire's infrastructure. In his diary at the time von Münstermann supported the Weranian empire as a civilising mission and spreading Euclean values to Coius.

In 1942 he was appointed as the deputy-ambassador for Estmere due to his fluency in Estmerish. In 1946 he resigned from the civil service to run for a seat in the Volkstag, joining the National Liberal Party (NLP). According to von Münstermann's biographer Rudolf Schüßler his decision to join the NLP an intellectual rather then emotional decision, having little attachment to either the party.

Political Career

Volkstag member

At the 1946 federal election von Münstermann was elected in a district in Wiesstadt. He was a firm supporter of the government of Franz Rössler and its imperialist foreign policy, advocating tough measures in Nasana and continued support for dietsmen across the empire. He also dismissed the United Nations of Euclea as a cover for Estmerish hegemony stating that the "balancing factor" of Etruria was no longer holding the organisation in check. As a Volkstag member von Münstermann attained a reputation of a foreign policy expert; conversely on domestic affairs his preference was that of a mainline conservative, supporting free-market economics and anti-socialism.

Following the Colonels putsch and the withdrawal of Weranian forces from colonies von Münstermann began to change his views on foreign policy from one based on realism to a more liberal mindset. He came to advocate closer cooperation between Euclean nations, seeing the role of Werania to rather then spread its culture and influence overseas work to create a pan-Euclean confederation that would ensure peace and promote Euclean culture and values worldwide.

After 1950 the National Liberals no longer served in government with a three-way coalition of socialists, Catholics and social democrats governing under Viktor Beer-Hofmann. The coalition was unstable but in 1951 submitted an application to join the newly-formed Euclean Community alongside Caldia and Varienland. Von Münstermann supported Weranian membership of the Euclean Community and played an important role persuading National Liberals to support the government's bill to join the organisation in 1955. In his role in promoting the EC von Münstermann became one of the most well-known National Liberal politicians and well respected by political factions across the Volkstag.

Foreign Minister

Von Münstermann meeting Seán Fitzgerald in 1959.

Chancellor

August von Münstermann speaking to the Euclean Parliament in 1964.