Lamzdorf, Vladimir

Lamzdorf, Vladimir Nikolaevich 

(often V. N. Lamsdorf in Western sources). Born Dec. 25, 1844 (Jan. 6, 1845); died Mar. 6 (19), 1907, in San Remo, Italy. Count, Russian state figure, minister of foreign affairs of Russia from 1900 to 1906. Educated in the Corps of Pages.

Lamzdorf began his career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1866. From 1882 to 1896 he was director of the ministry’s chancellery. He was the disciple and closest aide of Minister of Foreign Affairs N. K. Girs. In 1897 he served as assistant minister of foreign affairs. Through the late 1880’s, he maintained a pro-German orientation, but after the government of William II refused in 1890 to renew the Russo-German Treaty of 1887, he began actively supporting the Franco-Russian alliance. He stood for a “moderate” course in Far Eastern policy (agreement with Japan and peaceful resolution of the Korean-Manchurian question); however, before the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05, the Bezobrazov clique persuaded the tsar to dismiss him from Far Eastern affairs. In October 1905 he joined the cabinet of S. Iu. Witte. Along with Witte, he insisted on the abrogation of the Björko Treaty (1905) with Germany. In May 1906, Lamzdorf retired and was appointed to the State Council.

WORKS

Dnevnik 1886–1892, vols. 1–2. Moscow-Leningrad, 1926–34.
“Dnevnik 1894–1895.” Krasnyi arkhiv, 1931, vol. 3.

REFERENCES

Istoriia diplomatii, 2nd ed., vol. 2. Moscow, 1963.
Romanov, B. A. Ocherki diplomaticheskoi istorii russko-iaponskoi voiny: 1895–1907, 2nd ed. Moscow-Leningrad, 1955.

I. V. BESTUZHEV-LADA