EULENBURG, BOTHO (WEND AUGUST), GRAF ZU

(count of) born July 31, 1831, near Bartenstein, Prussia died Nov. 5, 1912, Berlin Prussian statesman associated with the Conservative Party in imperial Germany. As Prussian minister of the interior (187881), Eulenburg formulated Bismarck's laws against the Social Democrats and presented them to the imperial Reichstag. In 1892 he became prime minister of Prussia, succeeding the imperial chancellor, Leo, Graf von Caprivi, who from 1890 had held both offices. When Caprivi attempted to liberalize the Prussian franchise, Eulenburg demanded imperial legislation against the Social Democrats and tried to persuade the emperor, William II, to restrict universal suffrage for the imperial Reichstag. The conflict between Eulenburg and Caprivi typified the struggle between Junker Prussia and democratic Germany; the Emperor resolved the problem by abruptly dismissing them both in 1894. In 1899 Eulenburg entered the Prussian Herrenhaus (House of Lords).