Joachim von Ribbentrop
Birth	April 30, 1893 (Wesel, Niederrhein, Germany)
Death	October 16, 1946 (Nuremberg, Germany)
Party	National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP)
Political positions	German Ambassador to the Court of St. James (Ambassador to the United Kingdom) 1936 – 1938 Foreign Minister of Germany 1938 – 1945

Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim von Ribbentrop (born Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim Ribbentrop) (April 30, 1893 – October 16, 1946) was Foreign Minister of Germany from 1938 until 1945. He was later hanged for war crimes after the Nuremberg trials. Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany_1933. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Wesel is a city (population about 61,689 in 2004) in Germany, located at the point where the Lippe River empties into the Rhine. ... The Rhineland (Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nürnberg redirects here. ... The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: , or NSDAP, commonly, the Nazi Party), was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945. ... The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Court of St. ... This page lists State Secretaries for Foreign Affairs under the German Empire (1873-1918), and Ministers of Foreign Affairs under succeeding governments thereafter. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This page lists State Secretaries for Foreign Affairs under the German Empire (1873-1918), and Ministers of Foreign Affairs under succeeding governments thereafter. ... Hanging to Music. ... In the context of war, a war crime is a punishable offense under International Law, for violations of the laws of war by any person or persons, military or civilian. ... For the 1947 Soviet film about the trials, see Nuremberg Trials (film). ...

Early career

Ribbentrop was born in Wesel (now in North Rhine-Westphalia), the son of the Army officer Richard Ulrich Friedrich Joachim Ribbentrop and Johanne Sophie Hertwig. Ribbentrop was educated somewhat irregularly until his mid-teens at private schools in Germany and Switzerland. Fluent in French and English, Ribbentrop lived at various times in Grenoble, France, and London, before traveling to North America in 1910. He worked for the Molson's Bank on Stanley Street in Montreal and then for the engineering firm M.P. and J.T. Davis on the reconstruction of the Quebec Bridge. He was also employed by the National Transcontinental Railway, which constructed a line from Moncton to Winnipeg. Following a brief stint in New York and Boston as a journalist and a period of rest recuperating from tuberculosis in his native Germany, he returned to Canada and set up a small business in Ottawa importing German wine and champagne. Following the outbreak of World War One in 1914, Ribbentrop fled from Canada (which, along with Britain, was at war with Germany) and returned home. He made his way back to New York City, and obtained passage on the Holland-America ship The Potsdam, which left Hoboken, New Jersey for Rotterdam on August 15th, 1914. By the autumn of 1914 he was back in his homeland, and joined the 125th Regiment of the Hussars. ^[1] Wesel is a city (population about 61,689 in 2004) in Germany, located at the point where the Lippe River empties into the Rhine. ... Coat of arms Location Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country NUTS Region DEA Capital Düsseldorf Prime Minister Jürgen Rüttgers (CDU) Governing parties CDU / FDP Votes in Bundesrat 6 (from 69) Basic statistics Area  34,084 km² (13,160 sq mi) Population 18,033,000... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Polish Hussar Hussar (original Hungarian spelling: huszár, plural huszárok) refers to a number of types of cavalry used throughout Europe since the 15th century. ...

Ribbentrop reached the rank of first lieutenant, and was awarded the Iron Cross. He served on the Eastern Front, and then in 1916 was stationed in Istanbul as a staff officer. During his time in Turkey in World War I, Ribbentrop befriended another officer named Franz von Papen. There is some speculation that Ribbentrop worked with Papen in the United States, before Papen was expelled in 1915 under suspicion of sabotage. In 1919 Ribbentrop met Anna Elisabeth Henkell^[2], known as "Annelies" to her friends. She was the daughter of wealthy champagne producer Otto Henkell and his wife Katharina "Käthe" Michel from Wiesbaden. They were married on July 5, 1920 in Wiesbaden and Ribbentrop travelled Europe selling the family firm's wares. Between 1921 and 1940 Annelies gave birth to five children: A stylized version of the Iron Cross, the emblem of the Bundeswehr, Germanys Armed Forces. ... ‹ The template below (Expand) is being considered for deletion. ... Istanbul (Turkish: , Greek: , historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see other names) is Turkeys most populous city, and its cultural and financial center. ... Franz Joseph Hermann Michael Maria von Papen (29 October 1879 – 2 May 1969) was a German nobleman Catholic politician, General Staff officer, and diplomat, who served as Chancellor of Germany in 1932. ... This article is about Champagne, the alcoholic beverage. ... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wiesbaden is a city in central Germany. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

• Rudolf von Ribbentrop (born May 11, 1921 in Wiesbaden),
• Bettina von Ribbentrop (born July 20, 1922 in Berlin)
• Ursula von Ribbentrop (born Dezember 29, 1932 in Berlin)
• Adolf von Ribbentrop (born September 2, 1935 in Berlin),
• Barthold von Ribbentrop (born December 19, 1940 in Berlin)

Annelies von Ribbentrop was a haughty, controlling woman and was often described as being a Lady Macbeth-type character. Ribbentrop persuaded his aunt Gertrud von Ribbentrop – whose husband had been knighted – to adopt him on May 15, 1925, allowing him to add the aristocratic von to his name. For most of the Weimar Republic era, Ribbentrop was apolitical and had no anti-Semitic prejudices. As a wealthy partner with his father-in-law in the Henckel-Trocken businessman with champagne firm, Ribbentrop did a great edeal of business with Jewish bankers, and he was able to organize the Impegronma Importing Company with financing from a Jewish lender ^[3]. By 1928, however, it is said that he wanted to put his Jewish competitors out of business. Rudolf von Ribbentrop (b. ... is the 131st day of the year (132nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Wiesbaden is a city in central Germany. ... is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... Lady Macbeth was the title of Queen Gruoch of Scotland (queen consort to King Macbeth of Scotland) before her husband ascended to the throne of Scotland. ... For other uses, see Knight (disambiguation) or Knights (disambiguation). ... is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Aristocracy is a form of government in which rulership is in the hands of an upper class known as aristocrats. ... Von (generally in small case only as von) is a German preposition which approximately means of or from. ... Anthem Das Lied der Deutschen Germany during the Weimar period, with the Free State of Prussia (in blue) as the largest state Capital Berlin Language(s) German Government Republic President  - 1918-1925 Friedrich Ebert  - 1925-1933 Paul von Hindenburg Chancellor  - 1919 Philipp Scheidemann(first)  - 1933 Kurt von Schleicher (last) Legislature... The Eternal Jew: 1937 German poster. ...

In 1929, Von Ribbentrop was introduced to Hitler, reportedly, as a man who "gets the same price for German champagne as others get for French champagne", as well as a businessman with foreign connections ^[4]. He joined the National Socialist party in May 1932. When Kurt von Schleicher was ousted as Chancellor the following January, Ribbentroppthe former Defence Minister who had held the top post for just a few months, and the appointment of Hitler as Chancellor by Hindenburg on January 30, 1933. Ribbentrop, who was both a Nazi Party member and an old friend of von Papen, facilitated the negotiations by arranging for von Papen and Hitler meet secretly at the home of banker Kurt von Schroeder. This assistance endeared Ribbentrop to Hitler. Because Ribbentrop was a late-comer to the Nazi Party, the Alte Kämpfer (Old Fighters) of the Party disliked him. Typical of this hatred for Ribbentrop was the diary entry of Joseph Goebbels: "von Ribbentrop bought his name, he married his money, and he swindled his way into office ^[5]." To compensate for this, Ribbentrop became a fanatical Nazi, almost to the point of becoming a caricature of a Nazi brought to life. In particular, Ribbentrop became a vociferous anti-Semite. The Nazi swastika The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei), better known as the NSDAP or the Nazi Party was a political party that was led to power in Germany by Adolf Hitler in 1933. ...   (7 April 1882 – 30 June 1934) was a German general and the last Chancellor of Germany during the era of the Weimar Republic. ... is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... == c programming[[a--203. ... Paul Joseph Goebbels (German pronunciation: IPA: ) (October 29, 1897 – May 1, 1945) was a German politician and Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda during the National Socialist regime from 1933 to 1945. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

He became German dictator Adolf Hitler's favourite foreign policy adviser partly by dint of his knowledge of the world outside Germany but mostly by means of shameless flattery and sycophancy. The professional diplomats of the elite Auswärtiges Amt (Foreign Office) told Hitler the truth about what was happening abroad in the early years of Nazi Germany; Ribbentrop told Hitler what he wanted Hitler to hear. Ribbentrop in his turn was a great admirer of Hitler. In 1933 he was given the title of SS-Standartenführer. For a time, Ribbentrop was friendly with the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, but ultimately the two became enemies. Hitler redirects here. ... A countrys foreign policy is a set of political goals that seeks to outline how that particular country will interact with other countries of the world and, to a lesser extent, non-state actors. ... SS-Standartenführer insignia Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in both the SA and the SS. First created as a title in 1925, in 1928 the rank became one of the first commissioned Nazi ranks and was bestowed upon those SA and SS officers... Heinrich Himmler as the Reichsführer-SS Reichsführer-SS was a special SS rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945. ... Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( ; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was commander of the Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and the Nazi hierarchy. ...

Traveling diplomat

In November 1933, Ribbentrop began his work as an unofficial diplomat when he visited London and met the Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald and the Foreign Secretary Sir John Simon. Nothing of any substance emerged from these talks. In 1934, Ribbentrop founded an organisation linked to the Nazi Party called the Büro Ribbentrop (later renamed the Dienststelle Ribbentrop) that functioned as an alternative foreign ministry. Up to the time of his appointment as German Foreign Minister, Ribbentrop aggressively competed with the Auswärtiges Amt and sought to undercut the current Foreign Minister, Baron Konstantin von Neurath at every turn. Initially, Neurath held his rival in contempt, regarding anyone whose written German, to say nothing of his English and French, was full of atrocious spelling and grammatical mistakes as unworthy of attention. Also in 1934, Ribbentrop was named by Hitler Special Commissioner for Disarmament, which made him part of the same Auswärtiges Amt that Ribbentrop was vying with. In his capacity as Special Commissioner, Ribbentrop frequently visited London, Paris and Rome. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... James Ramsay MacDonald (12 October 1866 – 9 November 1937) was a British politician and three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ... The Right Honourable John Allsebrook Simon, 1st Viscount Simon (1873-1954) was a British politician and statesman. ... Konstantin von Neurath Konstantin Freiherr von Neurath (February 2, 1873 – August 14, 1956) was a German diplomat, Foreign Minister of Germany (1932-1938) and Reichsprotektor (nazi representative in the Czech puppet state) of Bohemia and Moravia (1939-1943). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Disarmament means the act of reducing or depriving arms i. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ...

Hitler's aim was to persuade the world that he wished to reduce military spending by making idealistic but very vague offers of disarmament (in the 1930s, the term disarmament was used to describe arms-limitation agreements). At the same time, the Germans always resisted making concrete proposals for arms limitation, and they went ahead with increased military spending on the grounds that other powers would not take up German offers of arms limitation. Ribbentrop's task was to ensure that the world was convinced that Germany sincerely wanted an arms-limitation treaty while also ensuring that such a treaty never actually emerged. In the first part of his assignment, Ribbentrop was partly successful, but in the second part he more than fulfilled Hitler's expectations. A military budget of an entity, most often a nation or a state, is the budget and financial resources dedicated to raising and maintaining armed forces for that entity. ... Disarmament means the act of reducing or depriving arms i. ...

Ribbentrop was rewarded by Hitler by being made Minister Plenipotentiary at Large (1935 – 1936). In that capacity he negotiated the Anglo-German Naval Agreement (A.G.N.A) in 1935 and the Anti-Comintern Pact in 1936. In regards to the former, Neurath did not think the A.G.N.A was possible, and so as to discredit his rival, appointed Ribbentrop head of the delegation sent to London in June 1935 to negotiate it. Once the talks began, Ribbentrop, who possessed a certain elan and sense of audacity, issued Sir John Simon an ultimatum. He informed Simon that if Germany's terms were not accepted in their entirety, the German delegation would go home. Simon was angry with this demand and walked out of the talks. Much to everyone's surprise, the next day, the British accepted Ribbentrop's demands and the A.G.N.A was signed in London on June 18, 1935. This diplomatic victory did much to increase Ribbentrop's prestige with Hitler. The Anglo-German Naval Agreement (AGNA), was signed between United Kingdom and Germany in of June 18, 1935. ... The Anti-Comintern Pact was concluded between Nazi Germany and Japan on November 25, 1936. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ...

The Anti-Comintern Pact of November 1936 marked an important change in German foreign policy. The Auswärtiges Amt had traditionally favoured a policy of friendship with China, one that Neurath very much believed in following. Ribbentrop was opposed to the pro-China orientation of the Auswärtiges Amt and instead favoured an alliance with Japan. The Anti-Comintern Pact marked the beginning of the shift on Germany's part from China's ally to Japan's ally. Sino-German cooperation played a great role in Chinese history of the early and mid 20th century. ...

During the same period, Ribbentrop often visited France to try to influence, not very successfully, French politicians into adopting a pro-German foreign policy. Ribbentrop enjoyed more success in the United Kingdom, where he was able to persuade an impressive array of British high society to visit Hitler in Germany. The most notable guest Ribbentrop brought to Hitler was the former Prime Minister David Lloyd George in 1936. Most of Hitler's British guests were aristocrats, retired politicians, ex-generals, and various businessmen like the newspaper magnate Viscount Rothermere. Very few of these people were actual decision-makers in the British government such as Cabinet-level politicians or high-ranking bureaucrats. Neither Hitler nor Ribbentrop understood very well that when people like Lloyd George or Rothermere declared that they favoured closer Anglo-German ties, they were speaking as private citizens, not on behalf of London. David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, OM, PC (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was a British statesman who was Prime Minister throughout the latter half of World War I and the first four years of the subsequent peace. ... Harold Sidney Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere (1868 - 1940) was a highly successful British newspaper proprietor, owner of Associated Newspapers. ...

In August 1936 the Nazi government appointed Ribbentrop Ambassador to Britain with orders to negotiate the Anglo-German alliance that Hitler had predicted in Mein Kampf. Ribbentrop was not the man for such a mission, but it is doubtful that even a more skilled diplomat could have fulfilled Hitler's dream of a grand Anglo-German alliance. His time in London was marked by an endless series of social gaffes and blunders that worsened his already poor relations with the British Foreign Office. In May 1937, he greeted the King George VI with "Heil Hitler!" (Punch referred to him as Von Brickendrop.) For other uses, see Ambassador (disambiguation). ... Mein Kampf (English translation: My Struggle) is a book by the German-Austrian politician Adolf Hitler, which combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitlers National Socialist political ideology. ... George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George) (December 14, 1895 - February 6, 1952) was the third British monarch of the House of Windsor, reigning from December 11, 1936 to February 6, 1952. ... The Hitler salute (Hitlergruß) is the embodiment of the Hitler cult of personality. ... Punch was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire published from 1841 to 1992 and from 1996 to 2002. ...

In his dealings with the British government, most of Ribbentrop's time was spent either demanding that Britain sign the Anti-Comintern Pact or that London return the former German colonies in Africa^[6]. Ribbentrop did not understand the King's limited role in government as he thought King Edward VIII could decide British foreign policy. He convinced Hitler that he had the Edward's support but this was, as was his belief that he had impressed British Society, a tragic delusion. During the Abdication crisis of December 1936, Ribbentrop reported to Berlin that only the reason why the crisis had occurred was because of an anti-German Jewish-Masonic-reactionary conspiracy to depose Edward, and that civil war would soon break out in Britain between supporters of the King and supporters of the Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin^[7]. This led to a false sense of confidence about British intentions with which he unwittingly deceived his Fuhrer. The Anti-Comintern Pact was concluded between Nazi Germany and Japan on November 25, 1936. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... King Edward VIII King of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, King of Ireland Emperor of India His Majesty King Edward VIII, (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David), later His Royal Highness The Duke of Windsor (23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972) was the second British monarch of the... Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC (3 August 1867 – 14 December 1947) was a British statesman and thrice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ...

His aggressive and overbearing manner towards everyone except his wife and Hitler meant that to know him was to dislike him. His negotiating style, a strange mix of bullying bluster and coldness coupled with lengthy monologues praising Hitler, alienated many. Ribbentrop's inability to achieve the alliance that he had been sent out for frustrated him as he feared it could cost him Hitler's favour, and it made him a bitter Anglophobe. Ribbentrop, and Hitler for that matter, never understood that British foreign policy aimed at the appeasement of Germany, not an alliance. While the Ribbentrops were in Britain, his son, Rudolf von Ribbentrop, attended Westminster School in London. Anglophobia is the fear or hatred of England, particularly its inhabitants or anything of its origin. ... Appeasement is a policy of accepting the imposed conditions of an aggressor in lieu of armed resistance, usually at the sacrifice of principles. ... Rudolf von Ribbentrop (b. ... For other uses, see Westminster School (disambiguation). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Peter Ustinov was Rudolph's schoolmate at this time, as related in his autobiography 'Dear Me' (1971). Ustinov is also supposed to have clandestinely leaked Rudolph's presence at his school to The Times. The result of this was the prompt withdrawal of the younger Ribbentrop from the school as a precautionary measure for his safety, as well as for security of his father's mission in London. Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov, CBE (IPA: ; April 16, 1921 – March 28, 2004), born Peter Alexander Baron von Ustinov, was an Academy Award-winning English actor, writer, dramatist and raconteur of French, Italian, Swiss, Russian, German and Ethiopian ancestry. ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom (and the Kingdom of Great Britain before the United Kingdom existed) since 1788 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ...

Royal visits

Ribbentrop's time in London was also marked by scandal. It was believed by many members of the British upper classes that he was having an affair with Wallis Simpson, the wife of British businessman Edward Simpson and the mistress of King Edward VIII. According to files recently declassified by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mrs. Simpson was believed to be a regular attendee at Ribbentrop's social gatherings at the German Embassy in London where it was thought the two struck up a romantic relationship ^[8]. Ribbentrop was said to have used Simpson's access to the King to funnel important information about the British to the German government ^[9]. Supposedly, Simpson was paid by the Germans for this information and was happy to continue the relationship as long as she received payment. The FBI took the matter seriously enough to advise President Roosevelt of their findings; he once commented to a confidante that Simpson "played around...with the Ribbentrop set." This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Wallis, Duchess of Windsor and the Duke of Windsor on their wedding day Bessie Wallis Warfield, more widely known as Wallis Simpson and later The Duchess of Windsor (June 19, 1896–April 24, 1986) was the wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII of the... Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; later The Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972) was King of Great Britain, Ireland, the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India from the death of his father, George V (1910–36), on 20... F.B.I. and FBI redirect here. ... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States, the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ...

However, although the success of the arrangement was supposedly one of the reasons for Ribbentrop's appointment to the position of Foreign Minister, it should be pointed out that the actual truth of the matter is still very much in doubt. Simpson, who later married the former King – he had abdicated to marry her – and was known in later life as the Duchess of Windsor, noted in her book The Heart has its Reasons that she met Ribbentrop on only two occasions and had no personal relationship with him whatsoever. Look up abdication in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Foreign minister of the Reich

On February 4, 1938, Ribbentrop succeeded Konstantin von Neurath as Foreign Minister in the German government. Ribbentrop's appointment was generally taken at the time and since as indicating that German foreign policy was moving in a more radical direction. In contrast to Neurath's less bellicose nature, Ribbentrop unequivocally supported war in 1938 - 39. Benito Mussolini commented, "Ribbentrop belongs to the category of Germans who are a disaster for their country. He talks about making war right and left, without naming an enemy or defining an objective" ^[10]. During the May Crisis of 1938, Ribbentrop boastfully told the British Ambassador, Sir Neville Henderson that Germany was prepared to struggle to the death with Britain and France and that in regards to Czechoslovakia "...there would not be a living soul in that state" ^[11]. is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Konstantin von Neurath Konstantin Freiherr von Neurath (February 2, 1873 – August 14, 1956) was a German diplomat, Foreign Minister of Germany (1932-1938) and Reichsprotektor (nazi representative in the Czech puppet state) of Bohemia and Moravia (1939-1943). ... Mussolini redirects here. ... Sir Neville Henderson Sir Neville Henderson (1882-1942) British Ambassador to Germany (1937-39) PERHAPS ONE OF the least understood personalities central to the political history of the Second World War is Sir Nevile Meyrick Henderson (1882 – 1941). ...

Ribbentrop loathed Neville Chamberlain, and viewed his appeasement policy as some sort of British scheme to block Germany from her rightful place in the world. Ribbentrop regarded the Munich Agreement as diplomatic defeat for Germany, as it allowed Germany to gain the Sudetenland without the war Ribbentrop wanted. Moreover, as time went by, Ribbentrop started to oust the old diplomats from their senior positions in the Auswärtiges Amt and replaced them with men from the Dienststelle. By 1943, 32% of the offices in the Foreign Ministry were held by men who previously served in the Dienststelle. Ribbentrop was widely disliked by the old diplomats in Auswärtiges Amt. Herbert von Dirksen who served as Ribbentrop's successor as German Ambassador in London in 1938-1939 described Ribbentrop as "an unwholesome, half-comical figure"^[12]. This article is about the British prime minister. ... For the annual global security meeting held in Munich, see Munich Conference on Security Policy Chamberlain holds the paper containing the resolution to commit to peaceful methods signed by both Hitler and himself on his return from Germany in September 1938. ... Sudetenland (Czech and Polish: Sudety) was the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the Western regions of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by Germans, specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia, and those parts of Silesia associated with Bohemia. ... Herbert von Dirksen (April 2, 1882 - 1955, Berlin) was the last German Ambassador to Britain before World War Two. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

On December 6, 1938 Ribbentrop visited Paris, where he and the French foreign minister Georges Bonnet signed a grand-sounding but largely meaningless Declaration of Franco-German Friendship. Ribbentrop was later to claim that Bonnet told him that France recognized Eastern Europe as being within Germany's sphere of influence. He played a role in the German annexation of Bohemia and Moravia (1939) by bullying the Czechoslovak President Emil Hacha into transforming his country into a German protectorate. More importantly, Ribbentrop played a key role in the conclusion of the Soviet-German nonaggression pact, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1939, and in the diplomatic action surrounding the attack on Poland. He advised Hitler that Britain would not go to war in the defence of Poland. The signing of the Non-Aggression Pact in Moscow on August 23, 1939 was the crowning achievement of Ribbentrop's career. The importance of this pact was that it allowed Adolf Hitler to attack Poland using the methods of Blitzkrieg (lightning war), while also being unafraid of fighting "a war on two fronts". This term refers to fighting a war against two different enemies at the same time. In this case, Hitler, after Ribbentrop signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact, could guarantee that he would only be fighting Britain and France from the East, and not the Soviet Union from the West. Ultimately, the pact left Poland open for Hitler to attack without fear of defeat. is the 340th day of the year (341st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... Georges-Étienne Bonnet (July 22/23, 1889 - June 18, 1973) was a French politician who served as Foreign Minister under Édouard Daladier at the time of the Munich Conference in 1938. ... Flag of Bohemia Bohemia (Czech: ; German: ) is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western and middle thirds of the Czech Republic. ... Flag of Moravia Moravia (Czech and Slovak: Morava; German: ; Hungarian: ; Polish: ) is a historical region in the east of the Czech RepublicCzechia. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Emil Hácha (July 12, 1872-June 26, 1945) was a Czech lawyer, the third Czechoslovakian President, taking office in 1938, and the last president of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. ... A non-aggression pact is an international treaty between two or more states, agreeing to avoid war or armed conflict between them even if they find themselves fighting third countries, or even if one is fighting allies of the other. ... Molotov signs the German-Soviet non-aggression pact. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Ribbentrop's time as Foreign Minister can be divided into three periods. In the first, from 1938 - 39, he tried to persuade other states to align themselves with Germany for the coming war. In the second from 1939 - 43, Ribbentrop attempted to persuade other states to enter the war on Germany's side or at least maintain pro-German neutrality. In the final phase from 1943 - 45, he had the task of trying to keep Germany's allies from leaving her side. During the course of all three periods, Ribbentrop met frequently with leaders and diplomats from Italy, Japan, Romania, Spain, Bulgaria, and Hungary.

After 1940, Ribbentrop, who was a Francophile, argued that Germany should allow Vichy France a limited degree of independence within a binding new Franco-German partnership. To this end, Ribbentrop appointed a colleague from the Dienststelle named Otto Abetz as Ambassador to France with instructions to promote the political career of Pierre Laval. The amount of Auswärtiges Amt influence in France varied as there were many other agencies competing for power there such as the military, the SS and the Four Year Plan office of Ribbentrop's archenemy Hermann Göring, but in general from late 1943 to mid-1944, the Auswärtiges Amt was second only to the SS in terms of power in France. In 1941, Ribbentrop strongly pushed for German aid to for the Rashid Ali government in Iraq. Motto Travail, famille, patrie French: Unoccupied zone of Vichy France (until November 1942) Capital Vichy Capital-in-exile Sigmaringen (1944-1945) Language(s) French Religion Roman Catholic Government Dictatorship Chief of state  - 1940 — 1944 Philippe Pétain President of the Council  - 1940 — 1942 Philippe Pétain  - 1942 — 1944 Pierre Laval... Portrait of Otto Abetz Otto Abetz (May 26, 1903 – May 5, 1958) was the German ambassador to Vichy France during World War II. Abetz was born in Schwetzingen. ... Pierre Laval, prime minister of Vichy France Pierre Laval (28 June 1883 – 15 October 1945) was a French politician and four times Prime Minister of France, the final time being under the Vichy government. ... Hermann Wilhelm Göring ( ) (also Goering in English) (January 12, 1893 – October 15, 1946) was a German politician and military leader, a leading member of the Nazi Party, second in command of the Third Reich, and commander of the Luftwaffe. ... El-Gaylani Rashid Ali was the Pro-Axis leader of Iraq who fled to Iran when the Allies invaded Iraq. ...

From the later half of 1937, Ribbentrop had championed the idea of an alliance between Germany, Italy and Japan that would partition the British Empire between them. After signing the Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact, Ribbentrop expanded on this idea for an Axis alliance to include the Soviet Union to form an Eurasian bloc that would destroy maritime states such as Britain. Ribbentrop liked Stalin and was against the attack on the USSR in 1941. He passed a word to a Russian diplomat: "Please tell Stalin I was against this war, and that I know it will bring great misfortune to Germany." The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... For other uses, see Eurasia (disambiguation). ... Josef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili (Georgian: , Ioseb Besarionis Dze Jughashvili; Russian: , Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili) (December 18 [O.S. December 6] 1878[1] – March 5, 1953), better known by his adopted name, Joseph Stalin (alternatively transliterated Josef Stalin), was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Unions Central Committee from...

Ribbentrop was found to have had culpability in the Holocaust on the grounds that he persuaded the leaders of satellite countries of the Third Reich to deport Jews to the Nazi extermination camps. He championed the so-called Madagascar Plan in June 1940 to deport all of Europe's Jews. The Auswärtige Amt played a key role in arranging the deportations of Jews to the death camps from France (1942 - 44), Hungary (1944 - 45), Slovakia, Italy (after 1943), and the Balkans. He assigned all of the Holocaust-related work to an old crony from the Dienststelle named Martin Luther, who represented the Foreign Ministry at the Wannsee Conference. “Shoah” redirects here. ... A satellite nation is a country that is dominated politically and economically by another nation. ... The Madagascar Plan was a policy of the Third Reich government of Nazi Germany to forcibly relocate the entire Jewish population of Europe to the French island colony of Madagascar, off the coast of Africa. ... Balkan redirects here. ... For other uses, see Holocaust (disambiguation) and Shoah (disambiguation). ... For other people named Martin Luther see: Martin Luther (disambiguation). ... The Wannsee Conference was a meeting of senior officials of the Nazi German regime, held in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee on 20 January 1942. ...

Declining influence

As the war went on, Ribbentrop's influence declined. As much of the world was at war with Germany and as Germany was losing, the usefulness of the Foreign Ministry contracted. Moreover, many of the people Ribbentrop appointed to head German embassies were grossly incompetent.

Hitler, for his part, found Ribbentrop increasingly tiresome and sought to avoid him. The Foreign Minister's ever more desperate pleas for Hitler to allow him to find some way of making peace with at least some of Germany's enemies — the Soviet Union in particular — certainly played a role in this estrangement.

A major blow against Ribbentrop was the participation of many of old diplomats from the Auswärtige Amt in the July 20 1944 putsch and assassination attempt against Hitler. Ribbentrop had no knowledge of the plot, but the involvement of so many former and serving members of the Foreign Ministry reflected badly on him. Hitler felt with some justification that Ribbentrop was not keeping proper tabs on what his diplomats were up to. After July 20, Ribbentrop worked closely with the SS in purging the Auswärtige Amt of those suspected of involvement with the putsch. Claus von Stauffenberg The July 20 Plot was an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Germany, on July 20, 1944. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... Assassin and Assassins redirect here. ... is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... SS or ss or Ss may be: The Schutzstaffel, a Nazi paramilitary force Steamship (SS) (ship prefix) The United States Secret Service A submarine not powered by nuclear energy (SS) (United States Navy designator), see SSN A Soviet/Russian surface-to-surface missile, as listed by NATO reporting name Shortstop...

Ribbentrop worked in close co-operation with the SS for what turned out to be his last significant foreign policy move, Operation Panzerfaust. On October 15, 1944, this operation resulted in a coup that deposed Admiral Miklós Horthy, Regent of Hungary. Horthy was deposed because he attempted to seek a separate peace with the Allies. Operation Panzerfaust, also known as Operation Eisenfaust in Germany, was a military operation in October 1944 by the German military. ... is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Horthy redirects here. ...

Joachim von Ribbentrop detention report and mugshots.

On June 14, 1945, Ribbentrop was arrested by a Belgian SAS sergeant (Jacques Goffinet) working with British forces near Hamburg. Found with him was a rambling letter addressed to the British Prime Minister "Vincent Churchill" criticizing British foreign policy for anti-German bias and blaming the British for the Soviet occupation of the eastern half of Germany and thus for the advance of "Bolshevism" into central Europe. The fact that Ribbentrop even in 1945 did not know that Churchill's first name was "Winston" reflected his general ignorance about the world outside of Germany. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 339 pixelsFull resolution (1129 × 479 pixel, file size: 231 KB, MIME type: image/png) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 339 pixelsFull resolution (1129 × 479 pixel, file size: 231 KB, MIME type: image/png) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Anti-German sentiment should not be confused with Anti-Germans (communist current), also called Anti-German. ... For other senses of this word, see bias (disambiguation). ... Bolshevik Party Meeting. ... Central Europe The Alpine Countries and the Visegrád Group (Political map, 2004) Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. ...

Trial and execution

The body of Joachim von Ribbentrop after his execution.

Ribbentrop was a defendant at the Nuremberg Trials, and the Allies' International Military Tribunal found him guilty of all charges brought against him. Even in prison, Ribbentrop remained subservient to Hitler, stating "Even with all I know, if in this cell Hitler should come to me and say 'Do this!', I would still do it." ^[13]. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (770x619, 100 KB)[edit] Summary The body of Joachim von Ribbentrop after his execution, Oct. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (770x619, 100 KB)[edit] Summary The body of Joachim von Ribbentrop after his execution, Oct. ... For the 1947 Soviet film about the trials, see Nuremberg Trials (film). ...

During the trial, Ribbentrop rather unsuccessfully attempted to deny his role in the war. For example, during his cross-examination, the prosecution brought up claims that he (along with Hitler and Göring) threatened the leader of Czechoslovakia, Emil Hacha, with a "threat of aggressive action." The questioning resulted in the following exchange ^[14]: Emil Hácha (July 12, 1872-June 26, 1945) was a Czech lawyer, the third Czechoslovakian President, taking office in 1938, and the last president of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. ...

PROSECUTION: What further pressure could you put on the head of a country beyond threatening him that your Army would march in, in overwhelming strength, and your air force would bomb his capital?

RIBBENTROP: War, for instance.

While not recorded in the trial transcript, Göring was said to have remarked, after hearing these words, that Ribbentrop deserved to hang, if only for his stupidity.

At one point during the trial proceedings, US Army interpreter for the prosecution Richard Sonnenfeldt asked Baron Ernst von Weizsacker, Ribbentrop's second in command, how Hitler could have made him a high official. Weizsacker responded "Hitler never noticed Ribbentrop's babbling because Hitler always did all the talking" ^[15]. Richard Sonnenfeldt (b. ... For other uses, see Baron (disambiguation). ... Ernst von Weizsäcker (German Resistance Museum, Berlin) Ernst Freiherr von Weizsäcker (25 May 1882 in Stuttgart - 4 August 1951) was a German diplomat. ...

Since Göring had committed suicide a few hours prior to the time of execution, Ribbentrop was the first politician to be hanged on the morning of October 16, 1946. After being escorted up the 13 steps to the waiting noose, Ribbentrop was asked if he had any final words. He calmly said: "God protect Germany. God have mercy on my soul. My final wish is that Germany should recover her unity and that, for the sake of peace, there should be understanding between East and West." As the hood was placed over his head, Ribbentrop added: "I wish peace to the world." After a slight pause the executioner pulled the lever, releasing the trap door Ribbentrop stood upon. It took 17 minutes for Ribbentrop to die. For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ... Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1953 Ribbentrop's memoirs, Zwischen London und Moskau ("Between London and Moscow"), were published. A memoir, as a literary genre, forms a sub-class of autobiography. ...

See also

• Otto Abetz - German Ambassador to Vichy France (1940-1944)
• Rudolf Buttmann - German Ambassador to the Vatican
• Hans-Heinrich Dieckhoff - German Amassador to the United States of America
• Herbert von Dirksen - German Ambassador to the Soviet Union (1928-1933), Japan (1933-1938), and the United Kingdom (1938-1939)
• Ulrich von Hassell - German Ambassador to Italy (1932-1938)
• Eduard Hempel - German Ambassador to Ireland (1937-1945)
• Walther Hewel
• Leopold von Hoesch - German Ambassador to France (1923-1934) and the United Kingdom (1934-1936)
• Manfred Freiherr von Killinger - German Ambassador to the Slovak Republic (1940) and Romania (1940-1944)
• Hans Luther - German Ambassador to the United States of America (1933-1937)
• Eugen Ott - German Ambassador to Japan (1938-1942)
• Franz von Papen - German Ambassador to Austria (1934-1938) and Turkey (1939-1944)
• Cecil von Renthe-Fink - German Ambassador to Denmark (1940-1942)
• Friedrich Werner von der Schulenburg - German Ambassador to the Soviet Union (1934-1941)
• Heinrich Georg Stahmer - German Ambassador to Japan (1942-1945)
• Hans Thomsen - German Ambassador to the United States of America
• Ernst von Weizsäcker - German Ambassador to the Vatican (1943-1945)

v • d • e The Hitler Cabinet – 30 January 1933 to 30 April 1945

Adolf Hitler | Franz von Papen | Konstantin von Neurath | Joachim von Ribbentrop | Wilhelm Frick | Heinrich Himmler | Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk | Alfred Hugenberg | Kurt Schmitt | Hjalmar Schacht | Hermann Göring | Walther Funk | Franz Seldte | Franz Gürtner | Franz Schlegelberger | Otto Georg Thierack | Werner von Blomberg | General Keitel | Freiherr von Eltz-Rübenach | Julius Heinrich Dorpmüller | Wilhelm Ohnesorge | Richard Walther Darré | Herbert Backe | Joseph Goebbels | Bernhard Rust | Fritz Todt | Albert Speer | Alfred Rosenberg | Hanns Kerrl | Hermann Muhs | Otto Meißner | Hans Lammers | Martin Bormann | Karl Hermann Frank | Rudolf Hess | Ernst Röhm

Endnotes

Wikisource has original works written by or about:

Joachim von Ribbentrop

1. ^ Current Biography 1941, pp. 707-709
2. ^ [1]
3. ^ Current Biography 1941, p708
4. ^ Id. at 708
5. ^ Synder, Louis Encyclopedia of the Third Reich, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1976 page 295.
6. ^ Bloch, Michael Ribbentrop, Crown Publishers Inc: New York, New York, United States of America, 1992 pages 113-114, 120, & 125-127.
7. ^ Bloch, Michael Ribbentrop, Crown Publishers Inc: New York, New York, United States of America, 1992 pages 121-123.
8. ^ FOIA response to request for information about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (pdf).
9. ^ FOIA response to request for information about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (pdf).
10. ^ Overy, Richard "Germany and the Munich Crisis: A Mutilated Victory?" pages 191-215 from The Munich Crisis, 1938 Prelude to World War II edited by Igor Lukes and Erik Goldstein, London: Frank Cass Inc, 1999 page 201
11. ^ Ibid.
12. ^ Snyder, Louis "Encyclopedia of the Third Reich" New York: McGraw-Hill, 1976 page 68.
13. ^ Synder, Louis Encyclopedia of the Third Reich page 296
14. ^ The Trial of German Major War Criminals. Retrieved on 2006-07-01.
15. ^ Veteran of the Nuremberg Trials Can't Forget Dialogue With Infamy. Retrieved on 2007-03-15.

Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... The original Wikisource logo. ... Richard Overy has published extensively on the history of World War II and the Third Reich. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Bloch, Michael Ribbentrop New York: Crown Publishing., 1992 ISBN 0-517-59310-6.
• Browning, Christopher R. The Final Solution and the German Foreign Office : A Study of Referat D III of Abteilung Deutschland, 1940-43 New York: Holmes & Meier, 1978 ISBN 0-8419-0403-0.
• Craig, Gordon "The German Foreign Office from Neurath to Ribbentrop" pages 406-436 from The Diplomats 1919-39 edited by Gordon A. Craig and Felix Gilbert, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1953.
• Hildebrand, Klaus The Foreign Policy of the Third Reich, translated by Anthony Fothergill, London: Batsford, 1973 ISBN 0-520-02528-8.
• Hillgruber, Andreas Germany And The Two World Wars, translated by William C. Kirby, Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press, 1981 ISBN 0-674-35321-8.
• Jacobsen, Hans-Adolf "The Structure of Nazi Foreign Policy, 1933-45" pages 49-94 from The Third Reich edited by Christian Leitz, Oxford: Blackwell, 1999 ISBN 0-631-20700-7.
• Michalka, Wolfgang "From Anti-Comintern Pact to the Euro-Asiatic Bloc: Ribbentrop's Alternative Concept to Hitler's Foreign Policy Programme" pages 267-284 from Aspects of the Third Reich edited by H.W Koch, London: Macmillan 1985 ISBN 0-333-35272-6.
• Oursler Jr., Fulton, "Secret Treason" in American Heritage, 42 (8) (1991)
• Synder, Louis Encyclopedia of the Third Reich, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1976 ISBN 0-07-059525-9.
• The Munich Crisis, 1938 Prelude to World War II edited by Igor Lukes and Erik Goldstein, London: Frank Cass Inc, 1999 ISBN 0-7146-8056-7.
• Weitz, John Hitler's Diplomat : The Life And Times Of Joachim von Ribbentrop, New York : Ticknor & Fields, 1992 ISBN 0-395-62152-6.
• Windsor, Wallis, The Heart has its Reasons - the Memoirs of the Duchess of Windsor, Bath: Chivers Press, 1956.