Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst

Chlodwig Carl Viktor, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Prince of Ratibor and Corvey () (31 March 18196 July 1901), usually referred to as the Prince of Hohenlohe, was a German statesman, who served as the imperial chancellor of the German Empire and minister-president of Prussia from 1894 to 1900.

A member of the princely house of Hohenlohe, Chlodwig served in the Prussian civil service until 1845, when he succeeded as Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst and became a member of the Bavarian Reichsrat. In 1866, on the recommendation of the composer Richard Wagner, Hohenlohe was appointed minister-president of Bavaria, and came to be regarded as the second most important statesman in Germany after Otto von Bismarck. His pro-Prussian stance and opposition to ultramontanism ultimately led to his downfall. He was forced to resign in 1870 but remained a highly influential figure. In 1871, he was elected to the Reichstag and made its vice president. Hohenlohe was among the most prominent liberal politicians of his time in Germany; he was also a strenuous supporter of Bismark's anti-papal ''Kulturkampf'' measures. In 1873, Bismarck appointed him German ambassador in Paris. He was recalled to Berlin seven years later and served briefly as foreign secretary. In 1885, he was appointed governor of Alsace–Lorraine.

In 1894, Emperor Wilhelm II dismissed Leo von Caprivi and appointed Hohenlohe imperial chancellor. Then advanced in age, he rarely appeared in parliament and granted great independence to his secretaries of state, such as foreign secretary Bernhard von Bülow. His power further diminished as a result of Wilhelm's assertiveness. Hohenlohe resigned the chancellorship in 1900 and was succeeded by Bülow. He died a year later at the age of 81. Provided by Wikipedia