August Zaleski
August Zaleski | |
|---|---|
| Preceded by | Władysław Raczkiewicz |
| Succeeded by | Stanisław Ostrowski |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 September 1883 Warsaw, Congress Poland, Russian Empire |
| Died | 7 April 1972 (aged 88) London, England[1] |
| Political party | Independent |
August Zaleski (13 September 1883 – 7 April 1972) was a Polish economist,
.Life and career
August Zaleski was born in
In 1918, when Poland regained her independence, Zaleski proved to be a skilled diplomat and served in various posts in Polish embassies in
In June 1932, Zaleski was attending a session of the League of Nations in Geneva when he found himself thrust in the middle of the crisis in Danzig as he learned that the destroyer ORP Wicher had been sent into the harbour of the Free City of Danzig (modern Gdańsk, Poland) without the permission of the Senate of the Free City.[3] Although Zaleski had not been personally informed that the Wicher was going to Danzig, he put up an able defence of Poland in the League Assembly and Council.[4] In talks with the Secretary-General Sir Eric Drummond, in exchange for an undertaking that Poland would not send the Wicher back to Danzig when the German battleship Schlesien was scheduled to visit, a confrontation that would potentially cause a German-Polish war, Zaleski wanted the League to pressure the Free City to resolve the port d'attache issue governing the right of the Polish Navy to use Danzig harbour and managed to obtain a resolution satisfactory to Poland.[4] Zaleski's offer was taken and Drummond successfully pressured the Free City into settling the port d'attache issue in a manner favourable to Poland.[4]
Between 1928 and 1935, Zaleski was a member of the Polish
In exile, August Zaleski again became minister of foreign affairs, this time in the government of General
Death and legacy
August Zaleski died in London on 7 April 1972. Among his papers two conflicting nominations for his successor were found: one naming Stanisław Ostrowski and the other one, perhaps forged, naming Juliusz Nowina-Sokolnicki. The Council of Three accepted the former and disbanded. In November 2022, the remains of Zaleski, Ostrowski, and Władysław Raczkiewicz, and were moved from the cemetery at Newark-on-Trent in England to the mausoleum for emigree presidents at the Temple of Divine Providence in Warsaw.[5]
Zaleski's papers pertaining to his diplomatic work and Polish life during and after World War II are held in the collection of the Hoover Institution.[6]
References
Footnotes
- ^ "August Zaleski, 88, Polish Exiles' Chief". The New York Times. 8 April 1972.
- ^ "A list of famous Freemasons of Poland".
- ^ Wandycz 2016, p. 273.
- ^ a b c Wandycz 2016, p. 237.
- ^ "Poland buries remains of historic democratic leaders". Associated Press. 12 November 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
- ^ "August Zaleski papers". Online Archive of California. Hoover Institution. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
Sources
- ISBN 978-0-691-63525-5.
- Biography Archived 26 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
Further reading
- JSTOR 2496229.
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