Franz Joseph, Prince of Oppolzer

His Most Serene Highness The Prince of Oppolzer
4th Premier of Werania
In office 7 October 1860 – 14 March 1867
Monarch	Adalbert
Preceded by	Ferdinand Karl von Schönborn-Buchheim
Succeeded by	Ludwig Gustav von Middendorff
Minister-President of Cislania
In office 2 July 1856 – 7 October 1860
Monarch	Adalbert
Preceded by	Konrad von Blumenfeld (acting)
Succeeded by	Karl Richard von Wiesenburg
In office 5 April 1846 – 27 April 1856
Preceded by	Philipp von Rietberg
Succeeded by	Konrad von Blumenfeld (acting)
Personal details
Born	(1808-06-12)12 June 1808 Augustenburg, Cislania
Died	14 March 1867(1867-03-14) (aged 58) Westbrücken, Werania
Political party	Leftist Bloc
Spouse	Josephine Caroline und Rothenlöwen
Alma mater	Academy of Weisstadt
Cislanian offices held 1829-1867: Member of the Cislanian Landtag 1840-1842: Minister of Public Works 1846-1860: Minister of the Interior Weranian offices held 1842-1867: Member of the Chamber of Deputies 1842-1846: Minister of Public Works 1860-1865: Minister of Foreign Affairs

Xaver Franz Joseph Gerhard, Prince of Oppolzer (12 June 1808 - 14 March 1867) was a Weranian aristocrat and statesmen who served as the fourth Premier of Werania from 1860 to his death as well as serving as Minister-President of Cislania from 1846 to 1860. He is best known for his role in the suppression of the Jurgaitytė rebellion and expanding the Weranian colonial empire and helping formulate an alliance with Etruria.

Oppolzer came from one of the most powerful noble families in Cislania and was a confidante of Ulrich von Bayrhoffer during Weranian Unification. He would become Werania's first public works minister in 1842, a position mainly concerned with railway construction and aligned himself with von Bayrhoffer and pan-Weranicists in the Bundestag. In 1846 Oppolzer became Minister-President of Cislania leading a pro-government liberal coalition. A moderate liberal Oppolzer as supported the von Bayrhoffer cabinet and often emerged as a key powerbroker between the interests of Cislania and the central government. During the War of the Triple Alliance he was regarded as being amongst the more dovish and strongly supported the Torrazza accords that ended the war. Following the war Oppolzer supported the use of armed repression towards the revolutionaries during the Easter Revolution although opposed the tactics used by Adolf von Hoetzsch. He continued as minister-president throughout the 1850's.

In 1860 the monarch Adalbert invited Oppolzer to lead a liberal cabinet after the conservatives lost favour, with Oppolzer taking the opportunity. Oppolzer was a reformist committed to the ideals of free trade, laissez-faire economics and imperialism. As premier Oppolzer launched reforms to cut wasteful spending and reduce patronage. On the domestic front he reversed some of the more repressive measure that had introduced during the Easter Revolution although did not abolish censorship entirely.

During his term there was a rebellion in Ruttland after the Ruttish economy collapsed which was put down by the federal government. Because of this Oppolzer implemented reforms in Ruttland which placed the region under less repressive rule although he baulked at allowing a more democratic system being implemented.

In foreign affairs Oppolzer supported the notion of rapprochement with other great powers to ensure peace. To this end he supported the creation of an alliance with Etruria and with deepening the one with Estmere whilst pursuing moderate reconciliation with Gaullica. However his Soravophobia led to tensions with the new Soravian republic under Eduard Olsov and he was unable to reorient from the essentially anti-Kirenian thrust of Weranian foreign policy. In colonial affairs Oppolzer was more successful overseeing the expansion of colonial outposts in Silberküste and Nainan whilst supporting commercial relations with the Asterian powers. Oppolzer would die in office in 1867, the first Weranian premier to do so.

Oppolzer today is often ranked as one of Werania's most effective premiers with his tenure marked by domestic prosperity and liberty and peace abroad. For decades after his death Oppolzer was seen as the epitome of Weranian liberalism - however he was long ridiculed by conservative opponents for his sordid personal life and alleged naiveite. More recent criticism focuses on his unabashed imperialism and firm belief in the "white mans burden". Nevertheless historians continue to rate him highly.

Early life

A portrait of Franz Joseph (left) and his sister Julia (right) as young children.

Franz Joseph was born into the Cislanian princely family of Oppolzer in 1808. His father the prince of Oppolzer Felix Adolf was a rural landlord and courtier to the Cislanian monarchy whilst his mother Elisabeth Constanze was the daughter of the wife of prince Johannes, the third son of the former Rudolphine protector Leopold III making his family partially related to the House of Schwarzollen-Brücken. The House of Oppolzer was one of the most prominent being based in west Cislania and owned vast estates around Volkhöfen.

He studied law at the Academy of Weisstadt. According to a classmate, Antonin von Schnitzler, Franz Joseph was a "cocksure student more focused on womanising then studying, but was able scrape by academically". As the second son Franz Joseph was expected to enter a profession and in his twenties served as a bureaucrat in the Cislanian diplomatic service despite a poor academic track record. He was a polyglot speaking Weranian, Gaullican, Estmerish, Vespasian and Ruttish.

His older brother Johan Frederick who inherited his fathers princely title in 1821 but died in a hunting accident nine years later in 1830. Franz Joseph subsequently became the Prince of Oppolzer although left the administration of the family estates to his mother Elisabeth Constanze.

Franz Joseph would meet the daughter of an aristocrat Josephine Caroline und Rothenlöwen in 1832. He was enamoured by her and proposed to marry her on their third meeting, although she would only accept a year later. Their marriage would largely be unhappy due to Oppolzer's constant womanising although retained moments of affection.