Rudolf von Bennigsen

German politician, born in Lüneburg, NC Germany. In 1859 he became chairman of the Deutscher Nationalverein (German National Union). In 1867 he joined the Reichstag and the Prussian Abgeordnetenhaus, serving as president of the latter from 1873 to 1879. As leader of the national liberals he supported Bismarck, but broke with him following the adoption of the anti-Left Sozialistengesetz, resigning all his posts in 1883. He returned to the Reichstag (1887–98), serving also as supreme president of the province of Hanover (1888–98).

Rudolf von Bennigsen (10 July 1824, Lüneburg – 7 August 1902, Bennigsen near Springe), was a German politician. He was descended from an old Hanoverian family, his father, Karl von Bennigsen, being an officer in the Hanoverian army, who rose to the rank of general and also held diplomatic appointments.

Bennigsen, having studied at the University of Göttingen, where he became member of the Corps Hannovera, entered the Hanoverian civil service. He at once became the recognized leader of the Liberal opposition to the reactionary government, but must be distinguished from Alexander Levin, Count of Bennigsen, a member of the same family and son of the distinguished Russian General Bennigsen, who was also one of the parliamentary leaders at the time.

What gave Bennigsen his importance not only in Hanover, but throughout the whole of Germany, was the foundation of the Nationalverein, which was due to him, and of which he was president. It united the moderate Liberals throughout Germany, and at once became a great political power, notwithstanding all the efforts of the governments, and especially of the king of Hanover to suppress it.

In 1866 Bennigsen used all his influence to keep Hanover neutral in the Austro-Prussian War, but in vain. In May of this year he had an important interview with Bismarck, who wished to secure his support for the reform of the German Confederation, and after the war was over at once accepted the position of a Prussian subject, taking his seat in the diet of the North German Confederation and in the Prussian Parliament. He used his influence to procure as much autonomy as possible for the province of Hanover, but was a strong opponent of the Guelph Party. but Bennigsen was chiefly instrumental in founding a new political party, the National Liberals, who, while they supported Bismarck's national policy, hoped to secure the constitutional development of the country.

For the next thirty years Bennigsen was president of the party, and was the most influential of the parliamentary leaders. in 1870 he undertook a mission to South Germany to strengthen the national party there, and was consulted by Bismarck while at Versailles. In 1877 he was offered the post of vice-chancellor with a seat in the Prussian ministry, but refused it because Bismarck or the king would not agree to his conditions.

In 1883 he resigned his seat in parliament owing to the reactionary measures of the government, which made it impossible for him to continue his former co-operation with Bismarck, but returned in 1887 to support the coalition of national parties.