Chicherin, Georgi Vasilyevich

Chicherin, Georgi Vasilyevich

(gēôr`gē vəsē`lyəvĭch chēchâ`rĭn), 1872–1936, Russian diplomat. Of noble origin, he entered the Russian foreign office but resigned (1904) after joining the Social Democratic party. He was in London during the October Revolution of 1917, was arrested for "enemy associations" after the Russian armistice with Germany, and was finally released by the British authorities. He returned to Russia in Jan., 1918, as Trotsky's aide and soon succeeded him as foreign commissar. An able diplomat, Chicherin successfully ended the diplomatic isolation of the USSR by gaining formal recognition for his country from W European nations. He negotiated the Treaty of Rapallo (see Rapallo, Treaty ofRapallo, Treaty of,
1922, agreement signed by Germany and the USSR at Rapallo, Italy. It was reached by Walter Rathenau and G. V. Chicherin independently of the Conference of Genoa (see Genoa, Conference of), which was then in session.
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, and Genoa, Conference ofGenoa, Conference of,
1922, at Genoa, Italy. Representatives of 34 nations convened on Apr. 10 to attempt the reconstruction of European finance and commerce. It was the first conference after World War I in which Germany and the Soviet Union were accepted on a par with other
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) with Germany in 1922. He ceased to conduct foreign affairs in 1928 because of illness and was succeeded by his assistant, Maxim LitvinovLitvinov, Maxim Maximovich
, 1876–1951, Russian revolutionary and Soviet diplomat. A Jew, he changed his name from Wallach after joining the Social Democratic party. He became a member of the Bolshevik wing after the party split (1903).
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, in 1930.