Background
He was the representative of the old aristocratic Hanover count clan Bernstorff.
He was the representative of the old aristocratic Hanover count clan Bernstorff.
He prepared himself for a diplomatic career, was educated in German and Swiss universities and traveled extensively in Europe.
He was one of the initiators of the treaty of alliance with Russia, he also signed a treaty of Tsarskoye Selo ( 1773 ) , which solved Gottorpsky issue on which Russia rejected the rights to the Danish and shlezvigsky throne, and confirmed the rights of Denmark at Gottorp in exchange for the county of Niedersachsen Oldenburg and Delmenhorst in Germany.
In 1780 achieved significant political success by joining Denmark to anti-British alliance of Russia and Sweden , as well as other states, which was organized in 1779-1783 during the war of the North American colonies for independence.
Andreas Peter von Bernstorff pursued a policy of neutrality and maintained this policy up to the Russian-Swedish war, violating it by brief participating of Denmark in the war on Russia's side against the Swedes in the 1788-1790 years.
He has brought forward five principles of international law, was an opponent to intervention in France to suppress the French Revolution, actively participated in the abolition of serfdom of Danish peasants in 1788. It is known that he freed his peasants and made an example to all other landowners of the country. Andreas Peter von Bernstorff actively participated in reorganization of finance and the army.
