Background
The representative of a very ancient clan of Mecklenburg, was the son of Joachim Engelke, Freiherr von Bernstorff, chamberlain of the Prince Elector of Hanover.
The representative of a very ancient clan of Mecklenburg, was the son of Joachim Engelke, Freiherr von Bernstorff, chamberlain of the Prince Elector of Hanover.
Under the guidance of his grandfather, Andreas Gottlieb Bernstorff, he got an excellent education, got the deep knowledge of the leading european languages, especially the French language
He was appointed ambassador at Paris. As a minister he showed composure and self-control, trying to preserve the neutrality of Denmark in the Seven Years War. Bernstorff followed a policy of amity with Sweden. He was responsible for the settlement of the Holstein-Gottorp question with Russia, which involved the holding by Denmark of 21,000 soldiers in Holstein until the end of the Seven Years' War to secure Hamburg, Lübeck,Lubeck, and the Gottorp portion of Holstein from invasion. In domestic affairs he was responsible for army reform