Kühlmann, Richard von

Kühlmann, Richard von

(rĭkh`ärt fən kül`män), 1873–1948, German diplomat. Appointed foreign secretary in Aug., 1917, he led the delegation that negotiated (Mar., 1918) the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which removed Russia from World War I. In July, 1918, army leaders forced his removal from office for publicly declaring that the war could not be ended by military action alone and without recourse to diplomacy.