Kiderlen-Wächter, Alfred von

Kiderlen-Wächter, Alfred von
born July 10, 1852, Stuttgart, Württemberg
died Dec. 30, 1912, Stuttgart

German diplomat.

A career diplomat, he became foreign secretary in 1910 and pursued a belligerent foreign policy, working to establish Germany as the leading power in Europe through the Triple Alliance. In the second of the Moroccan crises (1911), he refused conciliatory offers by the French government and excluded Britain from negotiations. Although German expansionists denounced the peace treaty as too lenient, Kiderlen's brusque and forceful posturing during the crisis significantly aggravated the international tensions that led to World War I.

* * *

▪ German statesman
born July 10, 1852, Stuttgart, Württemberg
died December 30, 1912, Stuttgart
 German statesman and foreign secretary remembered for his role in the Second Moroccan crisis (Moroccan crises) (1911) before World War I.

      After service in the Franco-German War (1870–71), Kiderlen studied law and entered the Prussian diplomatic service (1879). He was an exponent of the tough-minded post-Bismarckian German diplomacy and for a time enjoyed the favour of Emperor William II (Kaiser Wilhelm II (William II)), though his sharp tongue lost him that favour in 1898. Thereafter, he was sent as minister to Bucharest and for a time served in Constantinople, where he championed the Berlin– Baghdad Railway. In 1908 he was appointed deputy foreign secretary and was instrumental in keeping Russia from aiding Serbia during the crisis following Austria's annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Already at this point Kiderlen advocated a belligerent foreign policy, whose success was purchased at the price of Russia's enmity. In 1910 the new chancellor, Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg (Bethmann Hollweg, Theobald von), overcame the emperor's dislike of Kiderlen and named him secretary of state for foreign affairs.

      Kiderlen opposed the attempt of the emperor and Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz (Tirpitz, Alfred von) to build up the German fleet to parity with the British, preferring to work toward establishing Germany firmly as the leading power in Europe through the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy). The climax of his career came in 1911, when France occupied the Moroccan cities of Rabat and Fès. While Kiderlen was not opposed in principle to French supremacy in Morocco, he demanded compensation for Germany. He encouraged German agitation for intervention in western Morocco and, to lend force to his arguments, dispatched the German gunboat Panther to Agadir, provoking the so-called Agadir Incident. He refused conciliatory offers by the French government, and his attempt to exclude Great Britain from the negotiations led to threats of British intervention. After the rejection of Kiderlen's demand for the whole of the French Congo in return for a free hand for France in Morocco, an agreement was reached in November 1911 by which Germany received two small strips of territory from the French Congo and France established a protectorate over Morocco. German expansionists sharply denounced the treaty as too lenient, but Kiderlen was able to retain his office. Kiderlen's brusque and forceful posturing during the Second Moroccan crisis aggravated the international tensions that were to lead to World War I.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Kiderlen-Wächter, Alfred von — (10 jul. 1852, Stuttgart, Württemberg–30 dic. 1912, Stuttgart). Diplomático alemán. Diplomático de carrera, se convirtió en ministro de relaciones exteriores en 1910 y llevó a cabo una política exterior beligerante, en un afán de establecer a… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Kiderlen-Wächter — Kiderlen Wächter, Alfred von, deutscher Diplomat, geb. 10. Juli 1852 in Stuttgart, machte den französischen Krieg 1870/71 als Freiwilliger mit, studierte darauf die Rechte, trat 1879 in das Auswärtige Amt ein, war 1881–84 Sekretär an der… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Kiderlen-Wächter — Kiderlen Wächter, Alfred von, Diplomat, geb. 10. Juli 1852 in Stuttgart, 1888 94 vortragender Rat im Auswärtigen Amte, 1894 preuß. Gesandter in Hamburg, 1895 in Kopenhagen, 1900 in Bukarest …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Alfred von Kiderlen-Wächter — Alfred Kiderlen, ab 1868 Alfred von Kiderlen Waechter (* 10. Juli 1852 in Stuttgart; † 30. Dezember 1912 ebenda) war ein deutscher Diplomat. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Familie 2 Leben 3 Literatur 4 Weblinks …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Alfred von Kiderlen-Waechter — Alfred Kiderlen, ab 1868 Alfred von Kiderlen Waechter (* 10. Juli 1852 in Stuttgart; † 30. Dezember 1912 ebenda) war ein deutscher Diplomat. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Familie 2 Leben 3 Literatur …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • von — /von/; Ger. /fawn/, unstressed /feuhn/, prep. from; of (used in German and Austrian personal names, originally to indicate place of origin and later to indicate nobility): Paul von Hindenburg. * * * (as used in expressions) Friedrich Leopold… …   Universalium

  • Alfred — /al fred, frid/, n. a male given name: from the Old English words meaning elf and counsel. * * * I known as Alfred the Great born 849 died 899 King of Wessex (871–99) in southwestern England. He joined his brother Ethelred I in confronting a… …   Universalium

  • Alfred — (as used in expressions) Adler, Alfred Ayer, Sir A(lfred) J(ules) Binet, Alfred Birney, (Alfred) Earle Blalock, Alfred Brauchitsch, (Heinrich Alfred) Walther von Alfred Bryant Renton Leonard Alfred Schneider Alfred Gerald Caplin Cerf, Bennett… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg — Theobald Theodor Friedrich Alfred von Bethmann Hollweg (* 29. November 1856 in Hohenfinow, Provinz Brandenburg; † 2. Januar 1921 ebenda) war ein deutscher Politiker. Seine Karriere begann als Verwaltungsbeamter und gipfelte in seiner Amtszeit als …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Bethmann Hollweg, Theobald von — born Nov. 29, 1856, Hohenfinow, Prussia died Jan. 1, 1921, Hohenfinow, Germany German politician and chancellor (1909–17). A member of the civil service, he was appointed Prussian minister of the interior in 1905 and became German chancellor in… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”