BENNIGSEN, RUDOLF VON German politician, was born at Luneburg on July io 1824, the son of an officer in the Hanoverian army. In 1855 he was elected a member of the second chamber and at once became the recognized leader of the Liberal opposition to the reactionary Government. He must be distinguished from Count Bennigsen, a member of the same family and son of the distinguished Russian general, who was also one of the parliamentary leaders at the time. Bennigsen was founder and president of the National Verein, a society which arose out of the public excitement created by the war between France and Austria, and had for its object the formation of a national party which should strive for the unity and the con stitutional liberty of the whole Fatherland. 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 Bennig sen used all his influence to keep Hanover neutral in the conflict between Prussia and Austria, 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 confederation, and after the war was over at once accepted the position of a Prussian subject, and took his seat in the diet of the North German Con federation and in the Prussian parliament. He used his influence to procure as much autonomy as possible for the province of Hanover, but he was a strong opponent of the Guelph party. The National Verein, its work being done, was now dissolved ; but Bennigsen was one of the founders of 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 3o years he was president of the party. Many amendments suggested by him were introduced in the debates on the constitution; in 187o he undertook a mission to South Germany to strengthen the national party there, and was consulted by Bismarck while at Versailles. It was he who brought about the compromise on the military bill in 1874. 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. From this time his relations with the Government were less friendly, and in 1878 he brought about the rejection of the first Socialist bill. In 1883 he resigned his scat 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. One of the first acts of the emperor William II. was to appoint him president of the province of Hanover. In 1897 he resigned this post and retired from public life. He died on Aug. 7 1902.
See H. Oncken, Rudolf von Bennigsen (1910) ; Rudolf von Bennig sens Reden, ed. W. Schultze and F. Thimme (Halle a.d.S., 1911, etc.) .