Count Alexander Petrovich Izvolsky or Iswolsky (russian: Алекса́ндр Петро́вич Изво́льский, ,
Moscow – 16 August 1919, Paris) was a
Russian diplomat remembered as a major architect of
Russia's alliance with Great Britain during the years leading to the outbreak of the
First World War in 1914. As
Foreign Minister, he assented to the
Austro-Hungarian annexation of
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
in 1908 in exchange for Austrian support for the opening of the
Turkish Straits to Russian warships. In the resultant
Bosnian Crisis of 1908–1909 the Powers did not accept the opening of the Straits. Izvolsky, publicly humiliated and destroyed by the debacle, resigned as Foreign Minister
in 1910.
Early life and career
Izvolsky came from an aristocratic family of Russian descent.
[Kowner, '' Historical Dictionary of the Russo-Japanese War'', p. 167-168.] He graduated from the
Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum
The Imperial Lyceum (Императорский Царскосельский лицей, ''Imperatorskiy Tsarskosel'skiy litsey'') in Tsarskoye Selo near Saint Petersburg, also known historically as the Imperial Alexander Lyceum after its foun ...
in
St Petersburg with honours, and shortly thereafter married Countess von Toll, whose family had far-reaching connections at court. Through these connections, he joined the Foreign Office, where
Prince Lobanov-Rostovsky became his patron.
Izvolsky served as Russia's ambassador to the
Vatican
Vatican may refer to:
Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum
The Holy See
* The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...
, followed by posts in
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 m ...
,
Munich, and
Tokyo (from 1899). In Tokyo, Izvolsky urged a peaceful accommodation with the rising power of
Imperial Japan
The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of Japan, 1947 constitutio ...
over
Korea and
Manchuria. He assisted Japanese former
Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi
was a Japanese politician and statesman who served as the first Prime Minister of Japan. He was also a leading member of the '' genrō'', a group of senior statesmen that dictated Japanese policy during the Meiji era.
A London-educated sa ...
arrange a trip to St. Petersburg in 1902 in an effort to defuse increasing tensions. The efforts incurred the wrath of Tsar
Nicholas II, and Izvolsky found himself transferred to
Copenhagen from 1903. From that posting, he continued to press for a diplomatic settlement with Japan before and during the
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...
of 1904–1905.
He served as Russia's
Imperial Foreign Minister between April 1906 and November 1910.
Anglo-Russian alliance
In the wake of the disastrous Russian-Japanese War and the
Russian Revolution of 1905
The Russian Revolution of 1905,. also known as the First Russian Revolution,. occurred on 22 January 1905, and was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. The mass unrest was directed again ...
, Izvolsky was determined to give Russia a decade of peace. He believed that it was Russia's interest to disengage from the conundrum of European politics and to concentrate on internal reforms. A
constitutional monarchist
A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...
, he undertook the reform and modernization of the Foreign Office.
In the realm of more practical politics, Izvolsky advocated a gradual
rapprochement with Russia's traditional foes -
Great Britain and Japan. He had to face vigorous opposition from several directions, notably from the public opinion and the hard-liners in the military, who demanded a revanchist war against Japan and a military advance into
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. His allies in the government included
Pyotr Stolypin and
Vladimir Kokovtsov
Count Vladimir Nikolayevich Kokovtsov (russian: Влади́мир Никола́евич Коко́вцов; – 29 January 1943) was a Russian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Russia from 1911 to 1914, during the reign of Empe ...
. He concluded the Russo-Japanese Agreement of 1907 to improve relations with Japan.
Having been approached by
King Edward VII during the Russo-Japanese War with a proposal of alliance, he made it a primary aim of his policy when he became Foreign Minister, feeling that Russia, weakened by the war with Japan, needed another ally besides France, which resulted in the
Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907
The Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907 (russian: Англо-Русская Конвенция 1907 г., translit=Anglo-Russkaya Konventsiya 1907 g.), or Convention between the United Kingdom and Russia relating to Persia, Afghanistan, and Tibet (; ...
.
Bosnian crisis
Another primary objective was to realize Russia's long-standing goal of opening (i.e., permitting free transit, without prior conditions; and in exclusive right to Russia) the
Bosporus
The Bosporus Strait (; grc, Βόσπορος ; tr, İstanbul Boğazı 'Istanbul strait', colloquially ''Boğaz'') or Bosphorus Strait is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Istanbul in northwestern Tu ...
and the
Dardanelles (known jointly as the "Straits") to Russian warships, giving Russia free passage to the Mediterranean and making it possible to use the
Black Sea Fleet
Chernomorskiy flot
, image = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet
, dates = May 13, ...
not just in the coastal defense of her Black Sea territory; but also in support of her global interests.
In one of the secret articles of the renewed
League of the Three Emperors of 1881, Austria-Hungary had asserted the right 'to annex
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
at whatever moment she shall deem opportune', and the claim was repeated intermittently in Austro-Russian agreements. This was not contested by Russia, but St Petersburg maintained the right to impose conditions. Izvolsky, with the support of
Tsar Nicholas II proposed that the annexation of Bosnia-Herzogovina be exchanged for Austrian support for improved Russian access to the Turkish Straits. Izvolsky met with the Austrian Foreign Minister, Baron (later Count)
Alois Lexa von Aehrenthal
Alois Leopold Johann Baptist Graf Lexa von Aehrenthal (27 September 1854 – 17 February 1912) was diplomat from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Biographer Solomon Wank says he exuded a strong monarchical-conservative outlook, loyalty to the Empire, ...
, at the
Moravian castle of
Buchlov
Buchlov (german: Buchlau) is a royal castle in Buchlovice in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic It is located on an eponymous hill with an elevation of within the Chřiby mountain range.
History
The castle was built approximately in the ...
on September 16, 1908, and there agreed to support Austria's annexation of
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
in exchange for Austria's assent to the opening of the Straits to Russia; and to support such an opening, at any subsequent diplomatic conference.
Aehrenthal's announcement of the
annexation
Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...
on 5 October 1908, secured through alterations of the terms of the
Treaty of Berlin at the expense of the
Ottoman Empire, occasioned a major European crisis. Izvolsky denied having reached any agreement with Aehrenthal. He subsequently denied any foreknowledge of Aehrenthal's intentions and tried unsuccessfully to have a meeting called to deal with the status of Bosnia-Herzogovina. The ''impasse'' in diplomacy was resolved only by the ''St Petersburg note'' of March 1909 in which the Germans demanded that the Russians at last recognize the annexation and urge Serbia to do likewise. If they did not, German Chancellor
Bülow suggested, there was the possibility of an Austrian war on Serbia and the further direct possibility that the Germans would release the documents proving Izvolsky's connivance in the original annexation deal. Izvolsky backed down at once. Reviled by Russian
pan-Slavists
Pan-Slavism, a movement which crystallized in the mid-19th century, is the political ideology concerned with the advancement of integrity and unity for the Slavic people. Its main impact occurred in the Balkans, where non-Slavic empires had rul ...
for "betraying" the Serbs, who felt Bosnia should be theirs, the embittered Izvolsky was eventually dismissed from office.
Historiography has traditionally laid most blame for the annexation crisis at Aehrenthal's door. The historian
Christopher Clark
Sir Christopher Munro Clark (born 14 March 1960) is an Australian historian living in the United Kingdom and Germany. He is the twenty-second Regius Professor of History at the University of Cambridge. In 2015, he was knighted for his servic ...
however, in his 2012 study of the causes of the
First World War ''The Sleepwalkers'', has challenged this view: "the evidence suggests that the crisis took the course it did because Izvolsky lied in the most extravagant fashion in order to save his job and reputation. The Russian foreign minister had made two serious errors of judgement
irstlythat London would support his demand for the opening of the Turkish Straits to Russian warships -
ndhe grossly underestimated the impact of the annexation on Russian nationalist opinion -
hen- he got wind of the press response in St Petersburg, he realized his error, panicked, and began to construct himself as Aehrenthal's dupe." The years following the annexation crisis, with an atmosphere of increased 'chauvinist popular emotion' and with a sense of humiliation in a sphere of vital interest, saw the Russians launch a substantial programme of military investment.
Later life
Upon becoming ambassador in Paris in 1910, Izvolsky devoted his energies to strengthening Russia's
anti-German alliance with both the
Third French Republic
The French Third Republic (french: Troisième République, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 194 ...
and the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
and encouraging Russian rearmament. When
World War I broke out, he is reputed to have remarked, ''C'est ma guerre!'' ("This is my war!").
After the
February Revolution
The February Revolution ( rus, Февра́льская револю́ция, r=Fevral'skaya revolyutsiya, p=fʲɪvˈralʲskəjə rʲɪvɐˈlʲutsɨjə), known in Soviet historiography as the February Bourgeois Democratic Revolution and somet ...
, Izvolsky resigned but remained in Paris, where he was succeeded by
Vasily Maklakov
Vasily Alekseyevich Maklakov (Russian: Васи́лий Алексе́евич Маклако́в; , Moscow – July 15, 1957, Baden, Switzerland) was a Russian student activist, a trial lawyer and liberal parliamentary deputy, an orator, and one ...
. He advocated for
Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War
Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War or Allied Powers intervention in the Russian Civil War consisted of a series of multi-national military expeditions which began in 1918. The Allies first had the goal of helping the Czechoslovak Legi ...
and wrote a book of
memoirs before his last illness.
Shortly before his death, Isvolsky sat up and, greatly to their shock, he told his two children, "If I die, I do not wish to be buried in the
Russian Orthodox Church. Let your mother's Protestant pastor read the funeral prayers."
His daughter, though shocked, later attributed her father's words to, "the long-repressed bitterness he had felt, at seeing the
abject subservience of the Orthodox Hierarchy to the Tsar, and the corrupting influence of
Rasputin
Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin (; rus, links=no, Григорий Ефимович Распутин ; – ) was a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man who befriended the family of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, thus ga ...
."
Alexander Isvolsky died at
Biarritz
Biarritz ( , , , ; Basque also ; oc, Biàrritz ) is a city on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the French Basque Country in southwestern France. It is located from the border with Spain. ...
on November 16, 1919. In keeping with his wishes, a funeral service was read over his body by a Protestant minister. His children, however, also arranged for a
Panikhida
A memorial service (Greek: μνημόσυνον, mnemósynon, "memorial"; Slavonic: панихида, panikhída, from Greek παννυχίς, ''pannychis'', "vigil"; Romanian: parastas and Serbian парастос, parastos, from Greek παρ� ...
to be offered for Isvolsky at the local Russian Orthodox Cathedral. A
Tridentine Requiem Mass was also offered for Isvolsky by a
Roman Catholic priest and friend of the family.
[ Helene Iswolsky (1985), ''No Time to Grieve: An Autobiographical Journey from Russia to Paris to New York'', page 135.]
Family
Izvolsky married Countess Marguerite von Toll, a
Baltic German noblewoman of great charm whose influence at court was impeded by her ignorance of the
Russian language. Their son fought in the
Dardanelles. Their daughter
Hélène Iswolsky was received into the
Russian Greek Catholic Church
The Russian Greek Catholic Church (russian: Российская греко-католическая церковь, ''Rossiyskaya greko-katolicheskaya tserkov; la, Ecclesia Graeca Catholica Russica''), Russian Byzantine Catholic Church or simply ...
and became a prominent scholar, first as a
White émigré in
Paris and later as a member of the
Catholic Worker Movement
The Catholic Worker Movement is a collection of autonomous communities of Catholics and their associates founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in the United States in 1933. Its aim is to "live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus ...
and close friend of
Dorothy Day
Dorothy Day (November 8, 1897 – November 29, 1980) was an American journalist, social activist and anarchist who, after a bohemian youth, became a Catholic without abandoning her social and anarchist activism. She was perhaps the best-know ...
in the
United States.
His brother — Piotr Petrovich Izvolski (1863—1928) — was chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod, then emigrated to France he became archpriest.
Awards
*
Order of St. Stanislaus
The Order of Saint Stanislaus ( pl, Order Św. Stanisława Biskupa Męczennika, russian: Орден Святого Станислава), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poni ...
1st degree, 1901
*
Order of St. Anne 1st degree 1904
*
Order of St Vladimir
The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir (russian: орден Святого Владимира) was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptize ...
, 1st degree, 1908
*
Order of the White Eagle, 1910
*
Order of St. Alexander Nevsky
The Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was an order of chivalry of the Russian Empire first awarded on by Empress Catherine I of Russia.
History
The introduction of the Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was envisioned by Emperor ...
, 1914
*
Royal Victorian Order Honorary Grand Cross 6 September 1907
Screen Portrayal
Izvolsky was depicted in the 1974 BBC mini-series ''
Fall of Eagles
''Fall of Eagles'' is a 13-part British television drama aired by the BBC in 1974. The series was created by John Elliot and produced by Stuart Burge. The series portrays historical events from 1848 to 1918, dealing with the ruling dynasties of ...
''. He was played by actor
Peter Vaughan
Peter Vaughan (born Peter Ewart Ohm; 4 April 1923 – 6 December 2016) was an English character actor known for many supporting roles in British film and television productions. He also acted extensively on the stage.
He is perhaps best known ...
.
References
* Gooch, G.P. ''Before the war: studies in diplomacy'' (vol 1 1936
onlinelong chapters on Britain's Landsdowne; France's
Théophile Delcassé; Germany's
Bernhard von Bülow
Bernhard Heinrich Karl Martin, Prince of Bülow (german: Bernhard Heinrich Karl Martin Fürst von Bülow ; 3 May 1849 – 28 October 1929) was a German statesman who served as the foreign minister for three years and then as the chancellor of th ...
pp 187–294; Russia's Izwolsky pp 285–365 and Austria's Aehrenthal.
*
*
* Fay, Sidney B. (1928, repr. 1966). ''The Origins of the World War''
Izvolsky, A.P. Recollections of a Foreign Minister. 1920* Stieve, Friedrich (1926). ''Izvolsky and the World War''
External links
Izvolsky, A.P. Recollections of a Foreign Minister. 1920*
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Izvolsky, Alexander Petrovich
1856 births
1919 deaths
Writers from Moscow
People from Moskovsky Uyezd
Russian nobility
Converts to Lutheranism from Eastern Orthodoxy
Foreign ministers of the Russian Empire
Members of the State Council (Russian Empire)
Ambassadors of the Russian Empire to Bavaria
Ambassadors of the Russian Empire to France
Ambassadors of the Russian Empire to Denmark
Ambassadors of the Russian Empire to Japan
Politicians of the Russian Empire
Memoirists from the Russian Empire
Russian anti-communists
People of the Russo-Japanese War
Russian people of World War I
White Russian emigrants to France
Emigrants from the Russian Empire to France
Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum alumni
Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order