William Edward Goschen
Encyclopedia
Sir William Edward Goschen, 1st Baronet GCB
, GCMG
, GCVO
, PC
(18 July 1847 – 20 May 1924), was a British diplomat.
, the twelfth child and sixth son of Wilhelm Heinrich Göschen, originally of Leipzig
, Saxony
, and Henrietta Ohmann, who was born in London. At the time of his birth his father was 54. The Conservative politician Lord Goschen was Goschen's elder brother. He was educated at Rugby
and Corpus Christi College, Oxford
. He twice represented Oxford at real tennis
, played five matches of first-class cricket as a right-handed batsman for the University of Oxford and throughout his life was a keen sportsman.
in 1869 and after an initial few months at the Foreign Office he served in Madrid, as Third Secretary in Buenos Aires, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Constantinople, Peking, Copenhagen as secretary to the legation, (1888–1890), Lisbon as secretary to the legation, Washington (1893–1894) as secretary and Saint Petersburg (1895–1898).
at the Berlin embassy posed problems for the Foreign Secretary.
would be unacceptable and the successor and although the Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Charles Hardinge
had initially favoured Fairfax Cartwright
, the Minister at Munich, he was in his turn vetoed by the Germans who wanted a public figure. Eventually a reluctant Kaiser was persuaded to accept Goschen. In Goschen's last conversation with the German Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg
before asking for his passports, on 4 August 1914, Bethmann famously expressed his astonishment that England would go to war for "a scrap of paper" (the 1839 treaty guaranteeing Belgium's neutrality).
Goschen was admitted to the Privy Council
in 1905 and created a Baronet, of Beacon Lodge, Highcliffe, in the County of Southampton, in 1916.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, GCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(18 July 1847 – 20 May 1924), was a British diplomat.
Background and education
Goschen was born at Eltham, EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the twelfth child and sixth son of Wilhelm Heinrich Göschen, originally of Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
, and Henrietta Ohmann, who was born in London. At the time of his birth his father was 54. The Conservative politician Lord Goschen was Goschen's elder brother. He was educated at Rugby
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
and Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
. He twice represented Oxford at real tennis
Real tennis
Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original indoor racquet sport from which the modern game of lawn tennis , is descended...
, played five matches of first-class cricket as a right-handed batsman for the University of Oxford and throughout his life was a keen sportsman.
Diplomatic service
Goschen entered the Diplomatic ServiceHer Majesty's Diplomatic Service
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service is the diplomatic service of the United Kingdom, dealing with foreign affairs, as opposed to the Home Civil Service, which deals with domestic affairs...
in 1869 and after an initial few months at the Foreign Office he served in Madrid, as Third Secretary in Buenos Aires, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Constantinople, Peking, Copenhagen as secretary to the legation, (1888–1890), Lisbon as secretary to the legation, Washington (1893–1894) as secretary and Saint Petersburg (1895–1898).
Ambassador to Belgrade
Goschen was offered the Belgrade legation and took up post in Serbia in September 1899. He was later to recall that his only instructions from the Foreign Secretary Lord Salisbury was to "keep [an] eye [on] King Milan". He remained in Serbia until 1900.Ambassador to Copenhagen
According to Goschen himself he was initially less than happy to be offered the Copenhagen Legation. "Oh dear, oh dear! I am not thrilled and later accepted but with misgivings". He served as Minister to Denmark from 1900 until 1905 and although recognising the posting as something of a diplomatic backwater he at least revelled in the social aspects of his position.Ambassador to Vienna
Goschen's appointment as Ambassador to Austria-Hungary was seemingly made at the behest of King Edward VII. Goschen most probably expected the Vienna posting to be his last but the imminent retirement of Sir Frank LascellesFrank Lascelles
Sir Frank Cavendish Lascelles GCB, GCMG, GCVO, PC was a British diplomat. He served as Ambassador to both Russia and Germany....
at the Berlin embassy posed problems for the Foreign Secretary.
Ambassador to Berlin
Finding a successor for Lascelles was not easy. Berlin made it clear that Sir Arthur NicolsonArthur Nicolson, 1st Baron Carnock
Arthur Nicolson, 1st Baron Carnock , known as Sir Arthur Nicolson, 11th Baronet, from 1899 to 1916, was a British diplomat and politician through the last quarter of the 19th century to the middle of World War I...
would be unacceptable and the successor and although the Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Charles Hardinge
Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst
Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, was a British diplomat and statesman who served as Viceroy of India from 1910 to 1916.-Background and education:...
had initially favoured Fairfax Cartwright
Fairfax Cartwright
Fairfax William Cartwright was an academic, soldier and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1881....
, the Minister at Munich, he was in his turn vetoed by the Germans who wanted a public figure. Eventually a reluctant Kaiser was persuaded to accept Goschen. In Goschen's last conversation with the German Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg
Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg
Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg was a German politician and statesman who served as Chancellor of the German Empire from 1909 to 1917.-Origins:...
before asking for his passports, on 4 August 1914, Bethmann famously expressed his astonishment that England would go to war for "a scrap of paper" (the 1839 treaty guaranteeing Belgium's neutrality).
Goschen was admitted to the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
in 1905 and created a Baronet, of Beacon Lodge, Highcliffe, in the County of Southampton, in 1916.