Castlereagh, Robert Stewart, 2nd Viscount

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Castlereagh, Robert Stewart, 2nd Viscount (1769–1822) British politician. Castlereagh was chief secretary of Ireland (1799–1801), and helped secure the passage of the Act of Union with Britain in 1800. As British war secretary (1805–06, 1807–09), he vigorously opposed Napoleon but resigned after a duel with George Canning. Castlereagh was a brilliant foreign secretary (1812–22), backing Wellington in war and helping to secure long-term peace in Europe at the Congress of Vienna (1814–15).

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