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commissions and made many goodwill missions, during which he repeatedly stressed Russia's peaceful intentions. His most dramatic success came in 1885, settling long-standing tensions with Great
Britain, which was fearful that Russian expansion to the South would be a threat to India. Girs was usually successful in restraining the aggressive inclinations of Tsar Alexander III, convincing him that the very survival of the tsarist system depended on avoiding major wars. With a deep insight into the tsar's moods and views, Girs was usually able to shape the final decisions by outmaneuvering hostile journalists, ministers, and even the tsarina, as well as his own ambassadors. Under his leadership, Russia fought no foreign wars.
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who would relieve him from the trouble and worry of routine work while allowing him to control the main lines, and occasionally the details, of the national policy. Girs was exactly what he wanted, and accordingly the tsar not only appointed him minister of foreign affairs on the retirement of Prince
Gorchakov in 1882, but retained him to the end of his reign in 1894.
147:, he sought to establish more friendly relations with the cabinets of Berlin, Vienna, and Rome. To the advances of the French government, he at first turned a deaf ear, but when the rapprochement between the two countries was effected with little or no co-operation on his part, he utilized it for restraining France and promoting Russian interests.
131:
tendencies. In reality, the young tsar did not intend to embark on wild political adventures, and was fully determined not to let his hand be forced by men less cautious than himself. What he wanted was a minister of foreign affairs who would be at once vigilant and prudent, active and obedient, and
211:
According to
Margaret Maxwell, historians have underrated his success in a diplomacy that featured numerous negotiated settlements, treaties and conventions. These agreements defined Russian boundaries and restored equilibrium to dangerously unstable situations. He supported numerous international
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in 1914. There were many high ranked 'von Giers' in
Russian government, among them President in Podolien and minister Fredrik von Giers (1776 in St. Petersburg, 1842), minister Karl Ferdinand von Giers (1777, 1835), minister Konstatin von Giers (1777, 1835), Ambassador Nikolaus von Giers (1853,
203:
1924), Ambassador Mikail von Giers (1856, 1932), Admiral
Theodor von Giers (1835, 1905) etc. And some of these Giers relatives were married to other high ranked Russian families, among them General Komaroff, Princess Olga Cantacuzene and General Karl de Meyer.
652:
92:, but his career was much less rapid, because he had no influential protectors, and was handicapped by being a Protestant of Teutonic origin. At the age of eighteen, he entered the service of the Eastern department of the
175:
set up an agreement in 1887, which established a buffer zone in
Central Asia. Russian diplomacy won grudging British acceptance of its expansionism. Persia was also an arena of tension, but without warfare.
162:
of the late 19th century. Russia desired warm-water ports on the Indian Ocean while
Britain wanted to prevent Russian troops from gaining a potential invasion route to India. In 1885, Russia annexed part of
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Kennan, George F. "The
Decline of Bismarck's European Order" Princeton U.P., 1979. This magisterial volume offers, among other things, a fine description of N.K. Giers and his wise diplomacy.
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72:, He promoted an image of Russia as a peaceful partner in dealing with complex and dangerous diplomatic situations, but most of the public credit went to Tsar Alexander.
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Maxwell, Margaret. "A Re-examination of the Rôle of N.K. Giers as
Russian Foreign Minister under Alexander III."
459:
Margaret
Maxwell, "A Re-examination of the Rôle of N.K. Giers as Russian Foreign Minister under Alexander III."
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in 1881, it was generally expected that Girs would be dismissed as deficient in Russian nationalist feeling, for
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Girs systematically followed a pacific policy. Accepting as a fait accompli the existence of the
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One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
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14 January] 1895) was a Russian statesman and diplomat who served as the
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171:, which caused a war scare. However Girs and the Russian ambassador to London
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for the purpose of resisting any aggressive action on the part of Russia and
404:. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 2–3.
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104:. Here he remained for six years, and, after serving as a minister in
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575:(in Swedish), Stockholm, 1894, p. 400 – via gupea.ub.gu.se
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498:(in Danish). Odense: Syddansk Universitetsforlag. p. 468.
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Russia and Britain in Persia, 1864-1914: A Study in Imperialism
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Raymond A. Mohl, "Confrontation in Central Asia, 1885,"
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He died on 26 January 1895, soon after the accession of
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Nikolay Girs was born in Ukraine. Like his predecessor,
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Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary
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Russia - A History and An Interpretation - Volume II
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52:9 May] 1820 – 26 January [
1078:People from the Russian Empire of Swedish descent
535:(in German), vol. 1, Berlin, 1886, pp.
94:Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Empire
1068:Members of the State Council (Russian Empire)
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194:acted as last Imperial Russian Ambassador in
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1103:Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint-Charles
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414:David Fromkin, "The Great Game in Asia,"
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121:Assassination of Alexander II of Russia
68:, which was later transformed into the
60:from 1882 to 1895, during the reign of
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519:Sovereign Ordonnance of 21 August 1883
64:. He was one of the architects of the
238:: Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian
127:was credited with strong anti-German
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495:Riddere af Elefantordenen, 1559–2009
390:Wallace, Donald Mackenzie (1911). "
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116:, whose niece he had married.
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687:Vasily and Andrey Shchelkalov
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16:Russian statesman (1820–1895)
1083:Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum alumni
825:Andreas Eberhard von Budberg
473:"A Szent István Rend tagjai"
392:Giers, Nicholas Karlovich de
662:Foreign ministers of Russia
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855:Aleksey Lobanov-Rostovsky
418:(1980) 58#4 pp. 936-951
84:, he was educated at the
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1053:People from Rivne Oblast
707:Afanasy Ordin-Nashchokin
492:Jørgen Pedersen (2009).
479:22 December 2010 at the
450:(1969) 119#3 pp 176-183.
319:Order of the Black Eagle
98:minister plenipotentiary
775:Alexey Bestuzhev-Ryumin
614:European Studies Review
461:European Studies Review
401:Encyclopædia Britannica
198:until the beginning of
66:Franco-Russian Alliance
46:Никола́й Ка́рлович Гирс
977:Aleksandr Bessmertnykh
900:Provisional Government
840:Karl Robert Nesselrode
820:Adam Jerzy Czartoryski
805:Nikita Petrovich Panin
785:Nikita Ivanovich Panin
616:1.4 (1971): 351-376.
602:Florinsky, Michael T.
569:Sveriges statskalender
346:: Knight of the Royal
305:Order of the Red Eagle
282:Order of Saint-Charles
240:Order of Saint Stephen
216:Orders and decorations
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280:: Grand Cross of the
261:Order of the Elephant
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86:Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum
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913:Mikhail Tereshchenko
835:Ioannis Kapodistrias
795:Alexander Bezborodko
463:1.4 (1971): 351-376.
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972:Eduard Shevardnadze
845:Alexander Gorchakov
815:Alexander Vorontsov
770:Aleksey Tcherkassky
727:Yemelyan Ukraintsev
303:Grand Cross of the
48:; 21 May [
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606:(1958), passim.
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348:Order of Seraphim
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1043:1820 births
1017:Igor Ivanov
200:World War I
190:. His son
188:Nicholas II
165:Afghanistan
106:Switzerland
1037:Categories
160:Great Game
129:Slavophile
114:Gorchakov
76:Biography
664:and the
581:citation
548:citation
477:Archived
420:in JSTOR
141:Bismarck
618:excerpt
398:(ed.).
388::
257:Denmark
167:in the
158:in the
152:Britain
119:On the
88:, near
42:Russian
608:online
502:
394:". In
382:
278:Monaco
275:
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207:Legacy
145:France
110:Sweden
102:Persia
573:(PDF)
358:Notes
38:Giers
927:the
587:link
554:link
500:ISBN
313:1881
244:1884
108:and
54:O.S.
50:O.S.
925:and
100:in
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