Count Adam Tarnowski von Tarnów
Encyclopedia
Adam Graf Tarnowski von Tarnów (4 March 1866 – 10 October 1946), was an Austro-Hungarian
diplomat of Polish origin during World War I
.
.
Count Tarnówski entered the Austro-Hungarian foreign service
in 1897. He was appointed to the Austro-Hungarian Embassy in Washington D.C. in 1899 and remained there until 1901, when he was transferred to Paris
. In 1907, he was promoted to Counselor and dispatched to Madrid
. In 1909, he was transferred to London
.
On 30 April 1911, he was appointed Minister of the Dual Monarchy at Sofia
. During the war, he was said to have exerted a major influence on King Ferdinand I
and to have played a prominent role in securing Bulgaria's entry into the war on the side of the Central Powers
in October 1915.
In late 1915, Dr. Dumba
who served as the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador at Washington D.C. was declared persona non grata
and expelled from the country. On 9 November 1916, the Austro-Hungarian government decided to appoint Count Tarnowski as his replacement. This was considered a well-suited appointment as he had a reputation of being one of the most accomplished and talented diplomats in the Dual Monarchy's service.
Count Tarnowski only arrived to the United States on 31 January 1917 as Britain first refused to grant him safe conduct to travel through the Entente naval blockade. Furthermore, he arrived on the same day as the German note on the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare
was delivered and President Wilson
therefore refused to receive him. Following the U.S. declaration of war with Germany on 8 April, Austria-Hungaria decided to break off diplomatic relations which meant that he was never allowed to present his credentials. He sailed from the United States on 4 May together with other diplomatic staff. It should be noted, however, that war was not formally declared bwtween the United States and Austria-Hungary until December 1917.
In 1917, Count Tarnowski was considered for nomination as Minister at Stockholm
, but as events in his native Poland unfolded he never took up the position. In September 1917, he declined to be a member of the Regency Council of the newly founded Kingdom of Poland
, but was later proposed to become the first Prime Minister. However, his nomination was vetoed by Germany due to his alleged pro-Austrian sympathies.
After the war, he retired from public service. His son Adam (1892–1956) was also a diplomat and served briefly as Foreign Minister in the Polish exile government in London during World War II
.
Count Tarnowski died in Lausanne
on 10 October 1946.
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
diplomat of Polish origin during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Life
Born in Cracow on 4 March 1866 into an old family of the Polish aristocracy. On 10 September 1901, he married Princess Marie Światopełk-Czetwertyńska (1880–1965) in WarsawWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
.
Count Tarnówski entered the Austro-Hungarian foreign service
Austro-Hungarian Foreign Service
The Austro-Hungarian Foreign Service was the diplomatic service carrying out the foreign policy of the Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from the formation of the Dual Monarchy in 1867 until it was dissolved in 1918.- Diplomatic missions :...
in 1897. He was appointed to the Austro-Hungarian Embassy in Washington D.C. in 1899 and remained there until 1901, when he was transferred to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. In 1907, he was promoted to Counselor and dispatched to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. In 1909, he was transferred to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
On 30 April 1911, he was appointed Minister of the Dual Monarchy at Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
. During the war, he was said to have exerted a major influence on King Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I of Bulgaria
Ferdinand , born Ferdinand Maximilian Karl Leopold Maria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry, was the ruler of Bulgaria from 1887 to 1918, first as knyaz and later as tsar...
and to have played a prominent role in securing Bulgaria's entry into the war on the side of the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
in October 1915.
In late 1915, Dr. Dumba
Konstantin Dumba
Konstantin Dumba , was an Austro-Hungarian diplomat serving as its last accredited Ambassador to the United States and famous for having been expelled during World War I following accusations of espionage.- Life :Born in Vienna on 17 June 1861 as the son of Nikolaus Dumba , a wealthy Greek...
who served as the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador at Washington D.C. was declared persona non grata
Persona non grata
Persona non grata , literally meaning "an unwelcome person", is a legal term used in diplomacy that indicates a proscription against a person entering the country...
and expelled from the country. On 9 November 1916, the Austro-Hungarian government decided to appoint Count Tarnowski as his replacement. This was considered a well-suited appointment as he had a reputation of being one of the most accomplished and talented diplomats in the Dual Monarchy's service.
Count Tarnowski only arrived to the United States on 31 January 1917 as Britain first refused to grant him safe conduct to travel through the Entente naval blockade. Furthermore, he arrived on the same day as the German note on the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare
U-boat Campaign (World War I)
The U-boat Campaign from 1914 to 1918 was the World War I naval campaign fought by German U-boats against the trade routes of the Entente Powers...
was delivered and President Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
therefore refused to receive him. Following the U.S. declaration of war with Germany on 8 April, Austria-Hungaria decided to break off diplomatic relations which meant that he was never allowed to present his credentials. He sailed from the United States on 4 May together with other diplomatic staff. It should be noted, however, that war was not formally declared bwtween the United States and Austria-Hungary until December 1917.
In 1917, Count Tarnowski was considered for nomination as Minister at Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, but as events in his native Poland unfolded he never took up the position. In September 1917, he declined to be a member of the Regency Council of the newly founded Kingdom of Poland
Kingdom of Poland (1916–1918)
The Kingdom of Poland, also informally called the Regency Kingdom of Poland , was a proposed puppet state during World War I by Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1916 after their conquest of the former Congress Poland from Russia...
, but was later proposed to become the first Prime Minister. However, his nomination was vetoed by Germany due to his alleged pro-Austrian sympathies.
After the war, he retired from public service. His son Adam (1892–1956) was also a diplomat and served briefly as Foreign Minister in the Polish exile government in London during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Count Tarnowski died in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
on 10 October 1946.