 johann heinrich graf von bernstorff (14 november 1862 &ndash; 6 october 1939) was a german politician and the ambassador to the united states and mexico from 1908 to 1917. == biography == === early life === born in 1862 in london, he was the son of one of the most powerful politicians in the prussian empire. while foreign minister for prussia, his father count albrecht von bernstorff had earned the ire of prince bismarck in the prussian constitutional crisis of 1859-1866. overestimating his political strength, von bernstorff resigned in a spat over the constitution with the expectation to force his will on the prussian government. however, the emperor accepted bernstorffâs miscalculated challenge and appointed otto von bismarck chancellor and foreign minister. for the rest of his life, count albrecht von bernstorff would criticize bismarckâs machiavellian style of governing. in 1862, the elder bernstorff served as ambassador at the court of st james's. for the next eleven years young bernstorff grew up in england until his fatherâs death in 1873. after moving back to germany johann von bernstorff went to the humanistic gymnasium in dresden from which he graduated with a baccalaureate in 1881. while von bernstorffâs dream had always been to pursue a diplomatic career, the family feud with bismarck made an appointment to the diplomatic service impossible.heribert von feilitzsch, in plain sight: felix a. sommerfeld, spymaster in mexico, 1908 to 1914, henselstone verlag, virginia, 2012, pp. 203-204 as a result he joined the prussian army for the next eight years serving in an artillery unit in berlin. after being elected a member of the reichstag he finally succeeded in convincing the bismarcks to settle the dispute with the long dead father.{{cite book |url=http://books.google.de/books?id=-evdyq7ok_kc&pg=pa332&dq=johann+heinrich+bernstorff&lr=&as_brr=3#v=onepage&q=johann%2
1862_births 1939_deaths Ambassadors_of_Germany_to_Mexico Ambassadors_of_Germany_to_the_United_States Counts_of_Germany German_Democratic_Party_politicians German_Protestants German_people_of_World_War_I HinduaGerman_Conspiracy Members_of_the_Reichstag_of_the_Weimar_Republic People_from_London People_who_emigrated_to_escape_Nazism