Blackwell Reference Online

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Prime Minister of Austria (1868–70, 1879–93). Having inherited both Irish and Austrian titles of nobility, Taaffe won rapid political promotion before becoming president of the cabinet in the year following the ausgleich . That arrangement involved a new power-sharing compromise with the Magyar-dominated half of the habsburg empire . Taaffe soon faced major difficulties in trying to reconcile the many different competing political and national factions, and in 1870 was forced to resign. He subsequently served as governor of the Tyrol, before returning as prime minister in 1879. Though essentially loyal to Emperor francis joseph i rather than to any particular political party, Taaffe managed to build a conservative coalition that enabled him to sustain the longest ministry of the reign. His second period of office is chiefly remembered for the electoral reforms of 1882 that reduced the tax requirements for the male franchise, and for his repeated attempts to persuade the Czechs to become engaged with parliament. To this latter end, he secured official recognition for partial use of the Czech language in bohemia and Moravia. Essentially a pragmatist who was reliant on conservative Slav and German support in parliament, Taaffe never succeeded in appeasing the liberals and the many disaffected nationalities within the empire. His proposals of 1893 concerning further franchise ... log in or subscribe to read full text