Greatest Diplomat in History
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ParkCungHee
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He was in charge of the foreign ministry when some interesting (wouldn't say amazing) accomplishments were made (Naval Conference, Aunchluss, Munich). But he was not the architect of these policies. The London Naval conference was Von Neurath's Idea, and its only a miracle that Ribbentrop didn't blow that. He delivered an ultimatem to the british and the very beggining of the conference saying that Germany would be allowed a navy 3/5s the size of the Royal Navy or the talks were off. The British were more surprised then anything else and asked him why he was doing this, he responded that he read somewhere that it is important to set out guidelines for negotiations.
Then we have the Aunchluss, which was organized largely by Goring, so Ribbentrop again gets no credit.
Then we have the Munich agreement, which was hammered out by Hitler himself with Mussolini and Chamberlain. Ribbentrop actually was distrustfull of Munich because he thought it was some sort of convaluted trap by the British. He advised Hitler to go to war IIRC rather then negotiate.
Then the fall of 1939 roles around and you have his single usefull accomplishment, The Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. Though considering that Stalin had been pushing for a pact for years, it seems something easily within the reach of the more skilled Neurath or just about anyone else that Hitler could have appointed.
Then we have Ribbentrop's most notable diplomatic accomplishment. Advising Hitler that the British would never, ever go to war over Poland, and the war would remain localized. We know how well that went.
Then we have the Aunchluss, which was organized largely by Goring, so Ribbentrop again gets no credit.
Then we have the Munich agreement, which was hammered out by Hitler himself with Mussolini and Chamberlain. Ribbentrop actually was distrustfull of Munich because he thought it was some sort of convaluted trap by the British. He advised Hitler to go to war IIRC rather then negotiate.
Then the fall of 1939 roles around and you have his single usefull accomplishment, The Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. Though considering that Stalin had been pushing for a pact for years, it seems something easily within the reach of the more skilled Neurath or just about anyone else that Hitler could have appointed.
Then we have Ribbentrop's most notable diplomatic accomplishment. Advising Hitler that the British would never, ever go to war over Poland, and the war would remain localized. We know how well that went.
ParkCungHee
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Agreed, the German Diplomacy between 36 and 39 was remarkable, but that was more inspite of Ribbentrop, not because of him.
Octavian X
is not a pipe.
How about the Nixon-Kissinger pairing? I'm not saying I like Nixon's paranoia or Kissinger's strict realpolitik, nor the anti-Communist policies in South America that led to the rise of Pinochet (among other things), but you've got to give them credit for ending the nightmare in Vietnam (against arguments about the domino theory), opening talks with China, and Détente with the Soviet Union.
1889
Mayor of H-Marker Lake
What's wrong with realpolitik? I think anyone elected in '68 would have been committed to pulling out of Vietnam and probably would have done it faster than Nixon, but definite props for the China and USSR gambits.
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