Luis Méndez de Haro

Luis Méndez de Haro y Guzmán, Marquis of Carpio, Count ( Conde Duque ) of Olivares ( born February 17, 1598 Valladolid; † November 26, 1661 in Madrid) was prime minister and advisor to King Philip IV of Spain.

His father was Diego López de Haro, Marquis of Carpio, his mother, Francisca de Guzmán, sister of the Count of Olivares to 1643 Minister of Philip IV was. Thanks to the patronage of his uncle he made at the court career and became his successor as prime minister, but did not reach its influence.

In his aegis the signing of the Peace of Westphalia was 1648th He was chief negotiator in unfavorable Spain Pyrenees Peace of 1659 with France, which ended a long war. Previously, he had tried in vain to forge an alliance with Oliver Cromwell against France. His main goal was by external peace treaties forces for the struggle inside Spain win ( uprisings in Catalonia, regaining Portugal ). A highlight of his tenure was the suppression of the uprising in Catalonia and the re-conquest of Barcelona in 1652 by Juan José de Austria, with Portugal, he had less success. He commanded himself as a general, the Spanish troops at the Battle of Elvas on January 14, 1659 against Portugal, which ended with a Spanish defeat.

He was the father of the art collector, diplomat and viceroy of Naples Gaspar de Haro y Guzmán.