Hans, Baron von Wangenheim (1859 – 26 October 1915) was a diplomat for Imperial Germany. He died of a stroke, diagnosed most likely as 'neurasthenic' tendencies.

Life

Hans von Wangenheim was a German noble born in Gotha, where he was educated at the Ernestine Gymnasium. In 1902 he married Johanna ''Freiin'' von Spitzemberg (1877–1960), the daughter of Carl, Baron von Spitzemberg and Hildegard Baroness von Spitzemberg, née ''Freiin'' von Varnbüler. He served abroad as: * First Secretary at the embassy in Constantinople 1899–1904 * Minister to Mexico 1904–1908 *

Chargé d'affaires A ''chargé d'affaires'' (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a diplomat who serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassador ...

in Tangier 1908 * Minister in Athens 1909–1912 * Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire 1912–1915. By October 1915 he was replaced by Ernst II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. He died on 26 October 1915 in Constantinople. Rumors were that he had been poisoned.

War

With the outbreak of World War I, Wangenheim was instrumental in securing the entry of the Ottoman Empire into the war as part of the Central Powers. Wangenheim oversaw Max von Oppenheim's successful attempt to get the Ottoman Caliph Mehmed V to declare

Jihad Jihad (; ar, جهاد, jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with Go ...

against the Triple Entente. During the time of the Armenian genocide there were accusations of German complicity and questions were raised as to Wangenheim's position of 'non-intervention'; the American ambassador to the Ottoman Empire,

Henry Morgenthau Henry Morgenthau may refer to: * Henry Morgenthau Sr. (1856–1946), United States diplomat * Henry Morgenthau Jr. (1891–1967), United States Secretary of the Treasury * Henry Morgenthau III (1917–2018), author and television producer of ''Screa ...

, in his book '' Ambassador Morgenthau's Story'' (1918) would virulently criticise Wangenheim's role. In an interview with an American journalist, Wangenheim stated: "I do not blame the Turks for what they are doing to the Armenians ... They are entirely justified". Also in Turkey at that time was the socialist revolutionary, arms dealer, and German agent Alexander Parvus. Wangenheim sent Parvus to Berlin in March 1915 endorsing Parvus' plan that Germany back the Bolsheviks against the Russian Empire. Russian Statesman

Sergey Sazonov Sergei Dmitryevich Sazonov GCB (Russian: Сергей Дмитриевич Сазонов; 10 August 1860 in Ryazan Governorate 11 December 1927) was a Russian statesman and diplomat who served as Foreign Minister from November 1910 to July 1916. ...

regarded Wangenheim as "the most successful of the German fighting diplomatists".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wangenheim, Hans Freiherr von 1859 births 1915 deaths Barons of Germany Ambassadors of Germany to Mexico German people of World War I Ambassadors of Germany to Turkey Witnesses of the Armenian genocide Ambassadors of Germany to Argentina Ambassadors of Germany to Greece