Foreign policy of the USSR was in charge of a separate department. The official history of the Special Department for Foreign Policy began on July 6, 1923. During its existence before the collapse of the USSR, the instance was renamed several times, which did not change the essence of its tasks.
The First Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR
Headed by People's Commissar Georgy Chicherin, who was born in 1872 in the Tambov province. Received a specialized diplomatic education. Since 1898, Chicherin has been working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Empire. The profile activity of the future Soviet diplomat is the creation of a collection on the history of the ministry. Gradually becomes a supporter of socialist views. From 1904 until the revolution he lived abroad. He was a member of the socialist parties of the states of Western Europe. After the revolution, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR returned from emigration, entered the active political life of the state already during the Civil War. Officially head of the Foreign Ministry from July 6, 1923 to July 21, 1930.
At the same time, Chicherin carried out real diplomatic work even before he was granted official status. overestimateChicherin's merit in resolving many issues of relations between the Union and Western countries at the Genoa and Lausanne conferences (1922 and 1923), as well as during the signing of the Rappal peace treaty, is very difficult.
USSR Foreign Ministry from 1930 to the formation of the UN
Litvinov Maxim Maksimovich headed the department for foreign affairs in the most difficult time from a political point of view (1930-1939), because it was during this period that mass political repressions took place in the USSR. As a minister, he completed several important missions:
- Resuming diplomatic relations with the US.
- USSR was accepted into the League of Nations (a prototype of the UN, the organization existed from 1918 to 1940 in fact, but legally before the creation of the UN). He was the permanent representative of the state in the League of Nations.
The first diplomat who officially held the position (after all the renamings) of the "Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR" was Vyacheslav Molotov, who headed the department from May 3, 1939 to March 4, 1949. He remained in history as one of the authors of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. This document actually divided Europe into zones of influence of the USSR and Germany. After the signing of the pact, Hitler no longer had any obstacles to start the Second World War.
From March 1949 to 1953 Andrei Vyshinsky headed the ministry. His role in the foreign policy of the USSR has yet to be assessed by historians. After the end of the war, he took an active part in the Potsdam Conference, in the creation of the UN. Actively defended the political interests of the USSR in the foreign arena. Also, do not forget that it is in theseyears there was a war in Korea, splitting this country into two states: communist and capitalist. Undoubtedly, this minister has a big role in inciting the Cold War between the Union and the United States.
Vyacheslav Molotov is the only foreign minister of the USSR who returned to office after Stalin's death. True, he did not work as a minister for so long - until the famous XX Congress of the CPSU.
Andrey Gromyko
Soviet ministers often worked in government for a long time. But none of them could last as long as Andrei Andreyevich Gromyko (from 1957 to 1985), a career diplomat whose word was heeded by many Western leaders, did. A lot can be said about this politician, because if it were not for his consistent, balanced position on many issues of relations with the United States, the Cold War could easily develop into a real one. The most important achievement of the minister is the conclusion of the SALT-1 agreement.
The last Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR
Eduard Shevardnadze also had the honor of heading the USSR Foreign Ministry. In fact, he was the country's chief diplomat until the collapse of the Union, although he left this post briefly in 1991. As you know, the period of perestroika began in the state in 1985.
Foreign policy priorities have also changed. For example, the unification of Germany was an important task. The solution of this issue directly depended on the policy of the USSR. The leaders of the country have seenthe need for change, so the course of foreign policy could not remain the same. Eduard Shevardnadze was an outstanding diplomat.
