Home > Maxim Litvinov

He was born to a wealthy Jewish banking family in Bialystok, Poland and changed his name from Wallach (Vallakh) after joining the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1900. Shortly after joining this illegal organization, in 1901, the entire Kiev committee was arrested. After 18 months of captivity, he led an escape of 11 inmates from Lukyanovskaya prison and lived in exile in Switzerland, where he was an editor for the revolutionary newspaper Iskra.

In 19031903 has the latest occurring solstices and equinoxes for 400 years, because the Gregorian calendar hasn't had a leap year for seven years or a century leap year since 1600. Events January 1 Edward VII of the United Kingdom is proclaimed Emperor of India, he joined the BolshevikA Bolshevik ("", derived from Russian word loosely translated as "majority") was a member of a faction of Bolsheviks of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (RSDLP) led by Vladimir Lenin. The other faction was known as the Mensheviks, derived from "m movement and returned to Russia. After the 1905 Revolution he became editor of the SDLP's first legal newspaper, Novaya Zhizn' (New Life) in Petrograd.

When the Russian government began arresting BolshevikA Bolshevik ("", derived from Russian word loosely translated as "majority") was a member of a faction of Bolsheviks of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (RSDLP) led by Vladimir Lenin. The other faction was known as the Mensheviks, derived from "ms in 1906Events January 8 Landslide in Haverstraw, New York kills 20 January 31 Earthquake in Ecuador (8. 6 in Richter scale) February 11 Pope Pius X publishes the encyclical Vehementer nos''. February 15 Representatives of the Labour Representation Committee in t, Litvinov left the country and spent the next ten years living in LondonLondon is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England, and with over seven million inhabitants in the Greater London area, is the second-most populous conurbation in Europe (after Moscow). From being Londinium the capital of the Roman province of Bri, where he was active in the International Socialist Bureau. There he met and married the impulsive, free-spirited Ivy Low .

After the October RevolutionThis article is about the October Revolution in Russia. See October Revolution (disambiguation) for other meanings. The October Revolution also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was the second phase of the Russian Revolution, the first having been instig, Litvinov was appointed by Vladimir LeninVladimir Ilyich Lenin ( Russian: ), original name Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( Russian: ) ( April 10 ( April 22, New Style), 1870 January 21, 1924), was a Russian revolutionary, the leader of the Bolshevik party, the first Premier of the Soviet Union and the as the Soviet Government's representative in Britain. However, in 1918, Litvinov was arrested by the British government and held hostage until exchanged for Bruce Lockhart , a British diplomat who had been imprisoned in Russia.

Litvinov was then employed as the Soviet Government's roaming ambassador. It was largely through his efforts that Britain agreed to end its economic blockade of the Soviet Union. Litvinov also negotiated several trade agreements with European countries.

In 1930, Joseph Stalin appointed Litvinov as Commissar (Minister) of Foreign Affairs. A firm believer in collective security, Litvinov worked very hard to form a closer relationship with France and Britain. In 1933 he successfully persuaded the United States to officially recognize the Soviet Government. Franklin D. Roosevelt sent comedian Harpo Marx to the Soviet Union as a good-will amabassador, and Litvinov and Marx became friends and even performed a routine on stage together.

In early May 1939, because of his Jewish origins, Litvinov was replaced as foreign minister in order to facilitate negotiations with Germany; it was Litvinov's successor, Vyacheslav Molotov, who signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact in August of that year.

After the outbreak of war with Germany, Joseph Stalin appointed Litvinov as Deputy Commissar of Foreign Affairs. He also served as Ambassador to the United States from 1941 to 1943 and significantly contributed to lend lease agreement signed in 1942.

Perhaps more than anyone else, the businesslike diplomat helped to bring the Soviet Union out of its post-revolutionary isolation; however, Litvinov bluntly condemned Stalin's policies during and after the war with Germany.