Appendix – Biographical Details of Key Figures Mentioned in the Text Semyon Ivanovich Aralov (1880–1969). A soldier at the Russian-German front at the time of the Revolution, Aralov played an active role in the revolution- ary activity in the army. He was appointed to the People’s Commissariat of Military Affairs. He was recommended for diplomatic work by Lenin. Aralov served as polpred to Lithuania in 1920–21, Turkey 1921–23, and Latvia 1923–25 before joining the Collegium of the NKID until 1927. Following this he served in administrative positions. Boris Aleksandrovich Bakhmeteff (1880–1951). Bakhmeteff was head of the Industrial Mission in the United States, involved in procuring arms for Russia’s war effort. In 1917, following the resignation of the Russian Ambassador to the United States, he was appointed as Ambassador to the United States of the Pro- visional Government. Following the October Revolution of 1917 he became the Russian Ambassador to the United States and was a member of the Council of Ambassadors. He resigned his post in 1922, although he was to remain in contact with Tsarist diplomats for the remainder of his life. Jan Antonovich Berzin (1881–1938). Ambassador to Switzerland, May– November 1918. As a founding member of the Comintern he spent a 1919 as one of the secretaries of its Executive Committee. He returned to the Narkomindel in 1920, serving as Ambassador to Finland, 1910–21, Deputy Ambassador to Britain, 1912–25, and Ambassador to Austria 1925–27. In 1927, he became the Narkomindel’s representative to the Ukrainian government until 1929 when he became involved in publishing and organizing Soviet archives, becoming head of the Soviet Central Archives in 1932. He was arrested in 1937 and shot in 1938. Georgii Vasil’evich Chicherin (1872–1936). One of a small number of aristo- crats to serve in the Narkomindel. He had served in the MID archives between 1898 and 1903 before abandoning Tsarist state service in order to pursue revolu- tionary activity. He fled to Russia following the 1905 Revolution and spent the years before the Russian Revolution in Europe, where he became a member of the Mensheviks. He was in London at the time of the October Revolution. He was Foreign Commissar 1918–1930. Iakov Khristoforovich Davtyan (1888–1938). A member of the mission of the Russian Red Cross to France in 1919, then First Secretary in Estonia, 1920–21, Director of the Narkomindel’s Baltic Department, 1921–22, Ambassador to Lithuania, 1922, Representative to China, 1922–24, Ambassador to the Tuva Republic, Counsellor in France, 1925–27, and Ambassador to Iran, 1927–30, Greece, 1932–34, and Poland, 1934–37. 157 158 Appendix Nikolai Karlovich Girs (1820–95). A graduate of the Alexander Lycee, Girs joined the MID in 1838. He was Consul General in Egypt, 1856–58, Moldavia and the Balkans, 1858–63, before becoming Ambassador to Iran, 1863–69, Switzerland, 1869–72, and Sweden, 1872–75. In 1875, he became Deputy Foreign Minister and was in charge of Asiatic affairs, before becoming Foreign Minister between 1882 and 1895. Adolf Abramovich Ioffe (1883–1927). A career revolutionary who studied medicine and law in Berlin, Vienna, and Zurich in the years before the Revolu- tion, where he became friends with Trotsky and was involved in the publication of Pravda in Vienna. He joined the Bolsheviks in 1917, and was central in the negotiation of peace with Germany, being involved in both the treaties of Brest- Litovsk and Rapallo. One of a small number of Jews serving in the Narkomindel, Ioffe committed suicide in 1927 following the expulsion of Trotsky and Zinoviev from the party. Count Alexander Petrovich Izvolsky (1856–1919). Izvolsky joined the MID in 1875 and held a sequence of short-term postings in the consular service before being appointed First Secretary in Bucharest in 1881, and then First Secretary in Washington in 1885. From 1888 he was involved in establishing relations with the Papacy, becoming Minister in Residence at the Vatican in 1894. Between 1897 and 1899 he held posts in Serbia and Bavaria, before becoming Ambassador to Japan in 1899 and then to Denmark in 1902, a post he held until he became Foreign Minister from 1906 until 1910. Following his time as Foreign Minister, Izvolsky was Ambassador to France until the February Revolution. Lev Mikhailovich Karakhan (1889–1937). Deputy Foreign Commissar between 1918 and 1920, and between 1925 and 1934. He served as Ambassador to Poland, 1921–23, China, 1923–27, and Turkey, 1934–37. He was accused of treason, recalled, and shot. Alexandra Mikhailovna Kollontai (1872–1952). The first woman to hold a posi- tion in government and to serve as an ambassador. A hero of the women’s movement, she gained renown for her outspoken views regarding free love. She joined the Narkomindel in 1922 when she was posted to Norway to serve as trade representative. Aside from less than a year’s service in 1926 in Mexico, she served exclusively in Scandinavia, rising to become Ambassador to Sweden in 1943. Viktor Leont’yevich Kopp (1880–1930). Representative to Germany, 1919–21, Narkomindel Collegium member, 1923–24. He served as Ambassador to Japan, 1925–27, and to Sweden, 1927–30. Leonid Borisovich Krasin (1870–1926). Krasin had been an active revolution- ary, described by Trotsky as ‘the chief administrator of the revolution’ and spent time as an émigré in Germany before returning to Russia in 1912 as the head of Siemens-Schuckert keeping himself distant from the Bolsheviks despite their requests for his help in 1917, and decrying the October Revolution as hooliganism. He returned to the Party in 1918, dismayed at the incompetence Appendix 159 surrounding the Brest-Litovsk Treaty, taking roles in the Extraordinary Com- mission for supplying the Red Army, the Supreme Council of the National Economy, as well as becoming People’s Commissar for Commerce and Industry, People’s Commissar for Transport, and from 1920, People’s Commissar for For- eign Trade. While holding the latter position he was Trade Representative (and de facto ambassador) to Britain between 1920 and 1926 and France from 1924 to 1926. Nikolai Nikolaevich Krestinsky (1883–1938). A member of the Orgburo, Politburo, and Central Committee until he became Ambassador to Germany from 1921 until 1930. He held the post of Deputy Commissar for Foreign Affairs between 1930 and 1937. He was arrested in 1937 and tried at the third show trial in 1938, where he was sentenced to be executed. Dmitrii Ivanovich Kurski (1874–1932). A specialist in international law, he served as Ambassador to Italy, 1928–32. Vladimir Nikolayevich Lamsdorf (1844–1907). He joined the MID in 1866, rising to be Director of the Chancellery between 1882 and 1896, before becom- ing Deputy Foreign Minister in 1897 and then Foreign Minister between 1900 and 1906. Maxim Maximovich Litvinov (né Moshe Wallach) (1876–1951). One of a small number of Jews in the Narkomindel, Litvinov had a prominent revolutionary career before the Revolution. He was involved in émigré affairs in London and was appointed Soviet representative to Britain in 1918. He was Ambassador to Estonia in 1920 and then Deputy Foreign Commissar, 1921–30, responsible for Western affairs. In 1930, he was appointed as Foreign Commissar until 1939, when he was replaced by Vyacheslav Molotov. His diplomatic career ended as Ambassador to Washington, 1941–43. Ivan Mikhailovich Maisky (né Lyakhovetsky) (1884–1975). Director of the Narkomindel Press Department, 1922–23, then Counsellor in London, 1925–27, and Japan, 1927–29. He was Ambassador to Finland, 1929–32, then to Britain, 1932–43. His diplomatic career ended with him as Deputy Foreign Commissar, 1943–46. Count Mikhail Nikolayevich Muravyev (1845–1900). He began his diplomatic career in 1864 when he entered the Chancellery. From there he went on to hold a series of overseas postings beginning in Stuttgart, before holding posts in Berlin, then Stockholm, and Berlin again. In 1877, he was appointed second secretary at The Hague and became involved in the International Red Cross during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78. After the war he was appointed First Secretary in Paris, Chancellor of the Embassy in Berlin, and then Minister in Copenhagen. In 1897, he was appointed as Foreign Minister. Konstantin Nabokoff (1872–1927). Member of Russian delegation during peace negotiations with Japan 1905. He served as a diplomat in Belgium in 1907, the United States in 1911, before being appointed Ambassador to Britain in 1913, 160 Appendix where he served until 1919. On resigning his position in London, Sazonov suggested he take up a post in Norway, which he refused. Anatoli Vasil’evich Nekliudov (1856–1934). He had been Ambassador in Sofia (1911–14), then in Stockholm between the outbreak of the First World War and the February Revolution. He was then sent as Ambassador to Madrid, believing that Miliukov wanted to avoid a clash of opinion with him that could prove problematic for the MID. Andrei Mikhailovich Onu (1869–1925). He was First Secretary of the Tsarist mis- sion in Bern, but had become head of the mission following the dismissal of the previous Chargé d’Affaires, Mikhail M. Bibikov, by the Provisional Government, owing to rumours that he was involved in espionage for the Germans, and as a result of his close ties to the Tsarist secret police. Vladimir Petrovich Potemkin (1874–1946). He was a member of the Soviet Repatriation Commission in France in 1922 and president of the Repatriation Commission in Turkey in 1923. Between 1924 and 1926, he was Consul-General in Istanbul, the Counsellor of the Soviet Mission in Turkey, 1927–29. He held the post of Ambassador to Greece, 1929–32, Italy, 1932–34, and France, 1934–37, and was Deputy Foreign Commissar, 1937–40.