Paul Gautsch Freiherr von Frankenthurn (26 February 1851 – 20 April 1918) was an Austrian statesman who served three times as Minister-President of Cisleithania.

Gautsch achieved the promotio sub auspiciis Praesidentis, the highest possible honor for the country's best students, and began his career as a government official in the Austrian Ministry of Education.

His attempts to resolve the conflict by attenuating the language ordinances made by Badeni finally failed and Gautsch resigned on 5 March 1898, after only three months in office.

He was succeeded by Karl von Stürgkh, who held the office for almost five years, leading Austria-Hungary into World War I. Gautsch remained politically active as a peer of the Austrian Herrenhaus and confidant of the Emperor.

In 1908, the SS Baron Gautsch passenger ship of the Austrian Lloyd had been named in his honour; the vessel sank in the first days of the Great War on 13 August 1914, when it hit a mine field laid by the Austro-Hungarian Navy near the Istrian coast.