August von Münstermann

August Ritter von Münstermann
Official portrait of August von Münstermann
31st Premier of Werania
In office 16 May 1960 – 5 May 1963
Monarch	Otto X
Preceded by	Konstantin Vogel
Succeeded by	Rudolf Wiefelspütz
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 (1946-1951) Liberal Democratic Party (1951-1957) NKP (1957-1984)
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
Other offices held 1942-1946: Ambassador to Estmere 1946-1972: Member of the House of Deputies 1951-1957: Leader of the Liberal Democratic Party 1955-1960: Minister of Foreign Affairs 1972-1984: Member of the House of Lords

August Klemens Joachim Ritter von Münstermann (13 June 1902 - 24 March 1984) was a Weranian politician and civil servant who served as the 32nd Premier of Werania from May 1960 to May 1963. He also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from August 1955 to May 1960, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party from 1951 to 1957 and ambassador to Estmere from 1942 to 1946.

Von Münstermann initially studied to become a lawyer 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 being ambassador to Estmere before moving into active politics in 1946 being elected as a member of the House of Deputies for the National Liberal Party. When the NLP merged into the LDP in 1951 he became its leader, helping lead the LDP into government in 1955 and eventually merging it into the NKP in 1957. In 1955 he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs by Premier Konstantin Vogel. He beacme Premier in 1960 after Vogel resigned due to ill health. As Premier 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. A decline in popularity and health led to his resignation in 1963 shortly before elections that year.

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 premier. Von Münstermann was the last member of the National Liberal Party to serve as premier (albeit during his premiership 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. He aimed to further a career in law but was unable to take his bar exam being enlisted in the Great War.

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. As a result of the war von Münstermann abandoned his ambitions to became a lawyer and instead aimed for a career in foreign affair.s

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 ambassador for Estmere due to his fluency in Estmerish. As ambassador he navigated the often tenuous post-war relationship between Estmere and Werania, strongly supported the continued occupation of Gaullica and being a sharp critic of Esmtere's desire to maintain the United Nations of Euclea. In 1946 he resigned from the civil service to run for a seat in the House of Deputies, joining the National Liberal Party (NLP). According to von Münstermann's biographer Rudolf Schüßler his decision to join the NLP was based more on his professional and family background - coming from a secular, upper middle class, business owning rather then aristocratic or Sotirian stock - rather then an ideological attachment to classical liberalism.

Political Career

House of Deputies 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 Bahia 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 deputy 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, Scovern and Alsland. 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 House of Deputies.

Foreign Minister

Von Münstermann meeting Seán Fitzgerald in 1959.

Premiership

August von Münstermann speaking to the Euclean Parliament in 1964.