Abraham Lincoln Quotes

The basic treaty sold some of Ethiopia’s colonial territory (Eritrea and Tigray) to Italy in exchange for arms. Italy had tried to conquer the area but lost 500 men in the Battle of Dogali. However, after this peace treaty, Italy maintained that Article 17 of the treaty gave them the right to declare Ethiopia an Italian Protectorate which they did. However, there were two different versions of the treaty that the Italians had drawn up—one in Italian, the other in Aramaic. Britain, Belgium and Germany supported Italy; France, Turkey and Russia supported Ethiopia. Menelik then, to make matters clear, repudiated the treaty in 1893. Italy send an invasion force that was soundly thrashed by the Ethiopians setting the stage for the Italian attack on Ethiopia in World War II years later. Parties to International treaties thereafter have paid close attention to the different language versions.

Earl of Stockton

Meiji the Great. This was a momentous event in Japanese history. This was the first time that the Japanese Emperor had appointed diplomats to conduct foreign affairs. Prior to that, Japan was so isolationist that at times Japanese who had any contact with Westerners would be executed. Then the Emperor had a reception for foreign diplomats. Never before in the history of the Empire had its divine head deigned to admit to his presence the despised foreigner. The Emperor was only in his second year of rule at the time.

Rice was Secretary of State at a time when the United States was at a low point in its relations with other nations. She was a very beautiful woman who dressed beautifully and spoke eloquently but served at a time when few “deals” were made and U. S. foreign policy was under much criticism.

President Wilson had gone to Paris for peace treaty negotiations. Ex-President Roosevelt was on his deathbed. But even then TR was his politically contentious self.

The President wanted James Monroe to undertake a special mission to France. Monroe was reluctant:

In 1904 the Archduchess of Austria was visiting the Adriatic port of Fiume where hundreds of immigrants to America were waiting to board the ship. The nobility of the time found amusement in the poor immigrants boarding with their meager possessions and poor clothes. The Archduchess wanted the people to board 3 days early so she could watch the spectacle before she left. They would then have to stay in the steerage of the ship for 3 extra days. The American consul refused to issue the necessary papers until just before the sailing:

She had used a number of different designers for her wardrobe until she was criticized for having no consistent theme and look. It was decided that she should select one as her fashion consultant and she choose Cassini and had to tell the others that they were no longer needed. See {592752} for a John Adams related quote.

There have been times in democracies where a foreign ministry (State Department) is isolated from the elected politicians and implements a foreign policy that is at odds with the wishes of the elected officials and the majority of the nation. A good American example of this was in 1948 where America had to decide whether to support the creation of the State of Israel in the United Nations and through diplomatic recognition. The professional diplomats in the State Department had developed very close relations with Arab States, and many State Department employees were anti-Semitic. In addition, they thought the most important thing for America was not to risk the Arab oil supply. Meanwhile, the people, Congress, and President Truman were on the other side and Truman had to finally order The Secretary of State to stop his professional diplomats from pursuing their own foreign policy preferences. Even then some did not.

The existing treaties of many of the different European countries like the NATO Treaty obliged them to assist their allies if they were involved in war. Once Austria attacked Serbia, Russia had to assist Serbia against Austria. Germany then joined with Austria and that triggered the treaty whereby France had to support Russia. And when Germany overran Belgium to attack France, England was obligated to come to Belgium’s defense. The only country that had planned for and wanted war was Germany who used her obligation to Austria as the excuse to implement her war plans (see {642092}). The entire Western World was at war when all but one nation wanted to avoid war. The communications and diplomacy of the time could not keep up with events and one of the worst wars in history ensued.