Henry A. Byroade
Encyclopedia
Brigadier General
Henry Alfred Byroade, United States Army
(July 24, 1913 – December 31, 1993) of Indiana
was a career diplomat
who served as Ambassador to Egypt in 1955 and 1956 and later to five other countries, including United States Ambassador to Burma
from September 1963 to June 1968, and served as Assistant Secretary of State for Middle East, South Asia and Africa
from 1952 to 1955.
A 1937 graduate of West Point, he began as a career Army officer, rising to the temporary rank of Brigadier General in 1946, when he was 32. From 1949 to 1952, the Army lent him to the State Department, and he became chief of its Office of German Affairs. In 1952, he resigned his Army commission and became an Assistant Secretary of State, while still in his 30s. In that post, he received criticism from Israel
and the Arab nations for a 1954 declaration in which he told the Israelis, "You should drop the attitude of a conqueror and the conviction that force is the only policy that your neighbors will understand," and told the Arabs, "You should accept this state of Israel as an accomplished fact." He had been Ambassador to Egypt for a more than a year when it was announced that he was being transferred. He was considered a friend of Arab causes but unable, during his Egyptian assignment, to prevent an arms deal between Czechoslovakia
and Egypt
, or to influence the Egyptian government, run by Gamal Abdel Nasser
, in its expanding campaigns against the West
. Criticism of his effectiveness in Cairo
in the Eisenhower Administration led to his reassignment to South Africa. Emanuel Neumann, chairman of the executive of the Zionist Organization of America
urged that he be removed from Cairo, claiming he had been "long an apologist" for the Egyptian government.
He was Ambassador to South Africa from 1956 to 1959; Afghanistan from 1959 to 1962; the Philippines from 1969 to 1973, and Pakistan beginning in 1973. He retired from the Foreign Service
in 1977.
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Henry Alfred Byroade, United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
(July 24, 1913 – December 31, 1993) of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
was a career diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
who served as Ambassador to Egypt in 1955 and 1956 and later to five other countries, including United States Ambassador to Burma
United States Ambassador to Burma
This is a list of Ambassadors of the United States to Burma. In 1989 the military government of Burma changed the name of the nation to Myanmar, but the United States government—and other Western governments—do not accept the name and still refer to the country as Burma in official usage.Burma...
from September 1963 to June 1968, and served as Assistant Secretary of State for Middle East, South Asia and Africa
Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs
The Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs is the head of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs within the American Department of State. The Assistant Secretary guides operation of the U.S. diplomatic establishment in various countries of North Africa and the Middle East and advises...
from 1952 to 1955.
A 1937 graduate of West Point, he began as a career Army officer, rising to the temporary rank of Brigadier General in 1946, when he was 32. From 1949 to 1952, the Army lent him to the State Department, and he became chief of its Office of German Affairs. In 1952, he resigned his Army commission and became an Assistant Secretary of State, while still in his 30s. In that post, he received criticism from Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and the Arab nations for a 1954 declaration in which he told the Israelis, "You should drop the attitude of a conqueror and the conviction that force is the only policy that your neighbors will understand," and told the Arabs, "You should accept this state of Israel as an accomplished fact." He had been Ambassador to Egypt for a more than a year when it was announced that he was being transferred. He was considered a friend of Arab causes but unable, during his Egyptian assignment, to prevent an arms deal between Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, or to influence the Egyptian government, run by Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
, in its expanding campaigns against the West
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
. Criticism of his effectiveness in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
in the Eisenhower Administration led to his reassignment to South Africa. Emanuel Neumann, chairman of the executive of the Zionist Organization of America
Zionist Organization of America
The Zionist Organization of America , founded in 1897, was one of the first official Zionist organizations in the United States, and, especially early in the 20th century, the primary representative of Jewish Americans to the World Zionist Organization, espousing primarily Political Zionism.Today,...
urged that he be removed from Cairo, claiming he had been "long an apologist" for the Egyptian government.
He was Ambassador to South Africa from 1956 to 1959; Afghanistan from 1959 to 1962; the Philippines from 1969 to 1973, and Pakistan beginning in 1973. He retired from the Foreign Service
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
in 1977.
External links
- http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/po/com/10404.htm
- Papers of Henry A. Byroade, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum
- Oral History Interview with Henry Byroade from the Truman LibraryHarry S. Truman Presidential Library and MuseumThe Harry S Truman Library and Museum is dedicated to preserving papers, books, and other historical materials relating to the 33rd President of the United States Harry S Truman. It is located on a small hill facing U.S...