Joachim von Ribbentrop

Joachim von Ribbentrop was a German politician and diplomat. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Nazi Germany from 1938 to 1945.

Ribbentrop was a key figure in the government of Adolf Hitler. He helped shape Germany's relationships with other nations during a very violent era. His actions contributed to the start of World War II in Europe. He was also involved in the systems that enabled the Holocaust. Because of these actions, he was later held accountable for war crimes.

Ribbentrop was born in 1893 in Wesel, within the Kingdom of Prussia. His father, Richard, was a career army officer. After his father was dismissed from the army in 1908, the family faced financial difficulties.

This led the family to live in Switzerland for 18 months. During this time, Ribbentrop studied with French and English tutors. He later traveled to Britain and Canada to improve his language skills. In 1910, he lived in Canada and worked for several companies. He worked at Molsons Bank in Montreal and on the Quebec Bridge reconstruction. He also worked for the National Transcontinental Railway. Later, he worked as a journalist in New York City and Boston. He eventually returned to Canada to run a wine import business in Ottawa.

When the First World War began in 1914, Ribbentrop left Canada. He traveled through the neutral United States to return to Germany. He enlisted in the Prussian 12th Hussar Regiment and served on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. He was wounded during his service and earned the Iron Cross. In 1918, he served as a staff officer in Istanbul, Turkey. It was there that he became friends with Franz von Papen. In 1919, he met Anna Elisabeth Henkell, the daughter of a wealthy wine producer. They married in 1920, and Ribbentrop worked as a wine salesman across Europe. In 1925, he was adopted by his "aunt" Gertrud, which allowed him to add the nobiliary particle "von" to his name.

Ribbentrop joined the Nazi Party on May 1, 1932. He used his connections to help Hitler rise to power. He offered to act as a secret messenger between Hitler and Franz von Papen. In January 1933, Ribbentrop hosted a meeting at his home in Berlin. This meeting helped lead to Hitler being appointed Chancellor.

Despite his rise, many other Nazi leaders disliked him. They viewed him as superficial and lacking in true talent. Joseph Goebbels even wrote in his diary that Ribbentrop had swindled his way into office. However, Hitler valued Ribbentrop because he was well-traveled and knew the outside world. He also appreciated that Ribbentrop was extremely radical in his advice.

In 1936, Ribbentrop was appointed ambassador to the United Kingdom. He later became the Foreign Minister in February 1938.

As Foreign Minister, he worked to undermine the Treaty of Versailles. He helped convince the French public that Hitler wanted peace. In 1934, he also served as the Special Commissioner for Disarmament. His job was to make the world believe Germany wanted to limit weapons. While he spoke of peace, he ensured that no real arms-limitation treaties were ever developed. He used his diplomatic role to help Germany prepare for future conflicts.

Ribbentrop brokered several major international agreements during his career. He helped form the Pact of Steel, an alliance with Fascist Italy. He also signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact in 1939.

This was a non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Interestingly, Ribbentrop initially favored keeping good relations with the Soviets. He even opposed the later invasion of the Soviet Union. However, his influence began to decline after 1941. During the war, he worked to encourage Japan to attack the United States. He supported a declaration of war against the U.S. following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

After the war ended, Ribbentrop was arrested in June 1945. He was a defendant at the Nuremberg trials. The trials were held to judge the leaders of the Nazi regime for their crimes.

The court convicted him for his role in starting the war and enabling the Holocaust. On October 16, 1946, he was executed by hanging. He was the first of the Nuremberg defendants to be executed.

His life and actions remain a significant part of the history of the twentieth century.