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Birth of Vladimir N. Lamsdorf, Foreign Minister of the Russian Empire
25 December 1844 (6 January 1845) in St. Petersburg was born Vladimir Nikolaevitch Lamsdorf, count, Russian statesman and diplomat, steward of the household (1889), full privy councilor (1901), Foreign Minister of the Russian Empire 1900-1904, October 1905-1906).
His primary education Lamsdorf received in the Alexander Lyceum. In 1862 he graduated from the Corps of Pages, and then attended lectures at the Faculty of Law University of St. Petersburg. Having joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1866, he worked as a translator, and later – an office secretary of the Department of Home Affairs.
In 1879 Lamsdorf was appointed chamberlain and manager of lithography of the Ministry, and from April 1880 – the 2nd advisor to the minister and a member of the Ciphers Committee. For 5 years he was director of the Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and after that - the senior adviser to the Foreign Ministry (1886-1897). Being a close associate and confidant of the Minister of Foreign Affairs N. K. Giers, Lamsdorf benefited from the complete information, including a secret one about Russian foreign policy, and had a significant influence on the development of foreign policy: he elaborated analytical materials, draft reports of the Minister for Foreign Affairs to the emperor and instructions for the Russian diplomatic representatives abroad.
In early 1880s Lamsdorf contributed to the creation of the "Union of the Three Emperors" (1881-1884), and after its collapse - to the creation of the Russian-French Alliance (1891-1893). He shared the views of Finance Minister Sergey Witte on the need to maintain peace in international relations and stability in conflict regions for economic development of Russia. Lamsdorf also promoted foreign economic activities of the Ministry of Finance to strengthen Russia's position in the Middle and Far East; he made a significant contribution to the first Hague Peace Conference, for which, in August 1899, he was awarded the Imperial gratitude.
In the summer of 1900 Lamsdorf was appointed manager of the Ministry, and from January 1901 - Minister of Foreign Affairs. His policy was a continuation of the policy of his predecessor, Earl M. Murav'ev. As a minister, he regarded the alliance with France as the base for Russia's foreign policy; he sought to ensure greater support by France of the Russian policy in the Far East, and was against the division of spheres of influence between Russia and Britain in Persia.
The period when Lamsdorf was the minister was the time of diplomatic enhance of Russia at the Far East. The general direction of his policy at the Far Eastern was determined by the position of the government officials, who sought to reach an agreement with Japan and offered to limit Russian expansion in the Far East outside of Manchuria. However, such a "moderate" policy contradicted to the views of the tsar and his entourage. In this regard, in May 1903 Lamsdorf was actually removed by Emperor Nicholas II from leadership over the foreign policy in the Far East.
In the Middle East Lamsdorf’s policy was aimed at the strengthening of Russia's influence in Iran and Turkey. Construction of the Baghdad railway threatened the safety of Russia's borders at the Caucasus and caused concern of the Russian government. The Russian minister sought to weaken the influence of Germany in Turkey.
In October 1905, Lamsdorf joined the office of Witte, with whom he insisted that the Treaty of Björkö with Germany, concluded by the Russian emperor in the absence of the Minister, did not take force. In May 1906 Lamsdorf was dismissed and appointed a member of the State Council.
6 (19) March, 1907 Vladimir Nikolayevitch Lamsdorff died. His "Diary" is one of the most important sources for the history of the Russian foreign policy of 1880-1890's.
Lit.: Декларация России и Австро-Венгрии о взаимном нейтралитете // Сборник договоров России с другими государствами, 1856-1917. С. 333—334; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://www.hrono.info/dokum/190_dok/19051015avstr.html; Ламздорф В. Н. Дневник. 1886-1890. М.; Л., 1926; Он же. Дневник. 1891-1892. М.; Л., 1934; Он же. Дневник. 1894-1896. М., 1991; Лиманская Т. О. В. Н. Ламздорф (министр иностранных дел России с 1900 по 1906 г.) // Дипломатический вестник. 2001. Сент.; Рыбаченок И. С. Последний бастион. В. Н. Ламздорф и Мюрцштегское соглашение 1903 г. // Российская дипломатия в портретах. М., 1992.
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