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Prime Minister of Switzerland 31 January 1749 – 27 December 1750 | |
| Predecessor: | Tylar Kroshbon |
| Successor: | Lord Merian/Ryan Kroshbon |
| Monarch: | William II/Alexander I |
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Duke of Venice | |
| Predecessor: | Tyler Kroshbon |
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Leader of the Swiss People's Party | |
| Predecessor: | Party Established |
| Successor: | Prince Ryan Kroshbon |
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President of New Switzerland | |
| Predecessor: | Position Established |
| Successor: | Position Abolished |
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Chief Advisor to the King 26 September 1749 – 27 December 1750 | |
| Predecessor: | Tyler Kroshbon |
| Successor: | Lord Josef Grau |
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Personal Details | |
| Born: | 8 January 1698 (aged 61) |
| Nationality: | Swiss |
| Political party: | Swiss Peoples Party (SPP) |
| Spouse: | Charlotte Andrea (m. 1720) |
| Children: | Wilhelm Markus {b. 1721, d. 1749} Alexander Sebastian (b. 1722) Greta Annett (b. 1727) |
| Alma mater: | University of Vienna |
| Profession: | Statesman, Diplomat, Revolutionary |
| Religion: | Roman Catholicism |
Jozef Archibald Kohleschmied (. 8 January 1698-December 8 1746) also known as Joseph Coalsmythe, was a Swiss statesman and diplomat who is most famous for his time as Prime Minister of Switzerland (28 October 1739 - 27 September 1746 & 31 January 1749 - 27 December 1750). He is the longest serving Prime Minister in the history of Switzerland, and one of the founding members of the Swiss Trading Company.
Beginnnings/Early life (1698 - 1720)[]
Childhood (1698 - 1716)[]
Jozef was born on January 8th, 1698 to humble beginnings in the Swiss city of Winterthur. His father, a veteran of the 9 Years War turned diplomat, raised Jozef by himself as his mother died when he was still a young at a young age.
A childhood portrait of Jozef
As a young boy Jozef, being the son of a widowed diplomat, made frequent trips to various cities in Europe while his father was working for the Swiss government on diplomatic missions. By the time he was 16 years old he was already fluent in German, Italian, French, and English. At 18 Jozef travelled to Austria to study law at the University of Vienna.
Service in the Austrian Army (1716 -1719)[]
Mid-life (1720 - 1737)[]
Entrance into Swiss Politics (1737 - 1739)[]
Swiss Revolution[]
Life in Exile[]
With his dreams of a political revolution in Europe destroyed, Jozef fled the country. His property was siezed and sold by the Swiss government while Jozef was forced to live in exile in Morocco. The time spent in Casablanca by Jozef was somewhat unremarkable. However back in Switzerland things were anything but quiet. King Matthieu II had spent that last few years getting himself in a tight spot with the other major powers of Europe and was facing a coup d'etat spearheaded by his Chief Advisor, Tyler Kroshbon. The King failed to act, and he was forced to abdicate in May of 1738. For the next few months Switzerland was under the de facto control of the Armed Guard. By August, the Dukes of Switzerland had decided upon a new king, and Tylar Kroshbon was coronated as William II.
1739 Elections & First Term (1739 - 1746)[]
A Suprising Invitation[]
One of the new King's first acts was to completely rebuild the Swiss government. Almost all Ministers and Generals from the reign of Matthieu II were removed from their respective offices, and the elections were announced. Joseph didn't think much of this, until he recieved a letter stamped with the Kroshbon coat of arms. He had been offered a Royal Pardon and candidacy in the upcoming election. Jozef would finally return back to Switzerland.
1739 Campaign[]
Jozef's political campaign in 1739 was somewhat suprising to some onlookers. Only two years ago was Jozef leading a rebellion against the King, and he now seemed to be a dedicated supporter of the Monarchy. The former New Switzerland party was renamed the Swiss People's Party. Jozef platform for the election included Swiss expansion into the bordering German and Italian territories. Namely Piedmont and Wurttemberg, and the reorganization of the Swiss Army, replacing the Armed Guard as the sole military force and creating the Schweizer Königsarmee. He was able to easily defeat his opponent, Lord Christopher Ironshot.