, the first Emperor of Austria, the charter for the foundation of Austria's central bank
Oesterreichische Nationalbank in
Vienna. Bronze medal for the 100th anniversary on 1 June 1916; obverse. Medallist: Stefan Schwartz. In 1787–1790, he was ambassador in
Stockholm, then in
London from 1790 to 1793. After some years of retirement, he was entrusted with a mission to the
Prussian court (1800–1803), where he endeavoured in vain to effect an alliance with Austria. He had greater success as envoy at
Saint Petersburg (1803–1805), where he played a large part in the formation of the third coalition against
Napoleon (1805). Notwithstanding the failure of this alliance, he was made
foreign minister and, in conjunction with
Archduke Charles of Austria, pursued a policy of quiet preparation for a fresh trial of strength with France. In 1808, he abandoned the policy of procrastination and hastened the outbreak of a new war. Stadion was encouraged by news from Spain regarding the rising of the Spanish population against French occupation and the defeat of a French army by Spanish general Francisco Castanos at Bailen. He was instrumental in persuading Emperor Francis of Austria to attempt to arouse popular resistance to Napoleon in Austria and Germany. The war that began in 1809 pitted Austria alone on the continent against Napoleonic France. The campaign saw the first major defeat of Napoleon at Aspern by the Archduke Charles, brother of the Emperor. Nonetheless, the French recovered and inflicted a decisive defeat on the Austrians at Wagram, one of the largest battles of the Napoleonic Wars. The unfortunate results of the campaign of 1809 compelled his resignation. He was succeeded as Foreign Minister by
Klemens von Metternich, whom the Emperor had recalled from Paris. Nonetheless, in 1813, he was commissioned to negotiate the convention which finally overthrew Napoleon. The last ten years of his life were spent in a strenuous and partly successful attempt to reorganize the disordered finances of his country. As
minister of finance (1815–1824), he founded Austria's central bank
Oesterreichische Nationalbank in 1816. == Personal life ==