Henrik Kauffmann (26 August 1888 – 5 June 1963) was the

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

ambassador to the

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during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, who signed over part of Greenland to the US.

Career

Kauffmann started his foreign career by serving as envoy in

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, 1921–1923. He afterwards served in

Peking } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

in 1924–1932 when he was succeeded by Oscar O'Neill Oxholm. During this period Kauffmann became notable for three things: political reports of high quality; an ability to gain close contacts with central Chinese decision makers; and his lavish spending. After his time in Peking, Kauffmann served as envoy in

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1932–1939 (when he was, again, succeeded by Oxholm), where he helped soften the Danish-Norwegian relations following the Greenland case. On 9 April 1941, the anniversary of the

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occupation of Denmark At the outset of World War II in September 1939, Denmark declared itself neutral. For most of the war, the country was a protectorate and then an occupied territory of Germany. The decision to occupy Denmark was taken in Berlin on 17 December ...

, he signed on his own initiative "in the Name of the

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" ( da, I Kongens Navn) an "Agreement relating to the Defense of Greenland" authorizing the United States to defend the Danish

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Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...

from German aggression. The treaty was signed by the

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Cordell Hull and approved by President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

on 7 June 1941. Kauffmann's treaty was approved by the local officials on Greenland but declared void by the

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. Kauffmann ignored this protest, citing the fact that Denmark was occupied by a hostile power; consequently, he considered the government incapable of protecting Danish interests. The government responded by charging Kauffmann with

high treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

and stripping him of his rank. Kauffmann ignored both actions. Kauffmann's line was supported by the Danish consuls general in the United States, as well as by the Danish ambassador to

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. These diplomats were dismissed as well. Kauffmann replied by urging Danish diplomats around the world not to follow instructions from Copenhagen. Kauffmann was nicknamed "the King of Greenland" for his independent political moves in the Greenland affair. He was married to Charlotte MacDougall, the daughter of

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Rear Admiral William Dugald MacDougall.

Rehabilitation

Revoking the sentence against Kauffmann was one of the first tasks done by the Danish

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following the

Liberation of Denmark At the outset of World War II in September 1939, Denmark declared itself neutral. For most of the war, the country was a protectorate and then an occupied territory of Germany. The decision to occupy Denmark was taken in Berlin on 17 December ...

in May 1945. Kauffmann joined the Cabinet of National Unity and served as Minister without Portfolio from 12 May to 7 November 1945. While Kauffmann was unable to get Denmark to sign the

Declaration by United Nations The Declaration by United Nations was the main treaty that formalized the Allies of World War II and was signed by 47 national governments between 1942 and 1945. On 1 January 1942, during the Arcadia Conference, the Allied " Big Four"—the Unite ...

during the war, he was able as minister to join the

San Francisco Conference The United Nations Conference on International Organization (UNCIO), commonly known as the San Francisco Conference, was a convention of delegates from 50 Allied nations that took place from 25 April 1945 to 26 June 1945 in San Francisco, Calif ...

from 25 April 1945 to 26 June 1945 and sign the Charter. Kauffmann's treaty was adapted in the early 1950s and remains the legal basis for the U.S.

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Death

In June 1963, Kauffmann, suffering from prostate cancer, was killed by his wife in a "

mercy killing Euthanasia (from el, εὐθανασία 'good death': εὖ, ''eu'' 'well, good' + θάνατος, ''thanatos'' 'death') is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different eutha ...

". His wife, Charlotte, then took her own life.

In popular culture

The film ''

The Good Traitor The Good Traitor ( da, Vores mand i Amerika) is a 2020 Danish drama film about Henrik Kauffmann and the signing of the Greenland treaty with the United States after the Nazi occupation of Denmark during World War II. Cast * Ulrich Thomsen as Hen ...

'' (''Vores mand i Amerika'') released in 2020, covers the signing of the agreement over Greenland between Henrik Kauffmann and the United States. Kauffmann is played by

Ulrich Thomsen Ulrich Thomsen (born 6 December 1963) is a Danish actor and filmmaker, known for his role of Kai Proctor in the Cinemax original series ''Banshee'' (2013-2016). Biography Ulrich Thomsen was born in (Næsby) Odense, Denmark and graduated from t ...

References

Sources

External links

''Agreement between U.S. Secretary of State and Danish Minister on the status of Greenland April 10, 1941''

''This article is based on the corresponding article on the Danish Wikipedia :da:Henrik Kauffmann accessed on 27 February 2006.'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Kauffmann, Henrik 1888 births 1963 deaths Ambassadors of Denmark to the United States Ambassadors of Denmark to China Danish people of World War II Government ministers of Denmark Mariticides People murdered in Denmark Articles containing video clips