Julius Curtius
Encyclopedia
Julius Curtius was Foreign Minister of Germany
from October, 1929 to October 1931. Curtius was a member of the national-liberal German People's Party
and worked closely with Heinrich Brüning
to revise the Treaty of Versailles
in Germany's favor. However, Curtius was not a member of Brüning's inner circle. His notable achievement as Foreign Minister was in negotiating a customs union with Austria
in March 1931, but opposition from France scuttled the proposed union. To halt the union, the French withdrew a number of short loans they had made to Austria; the withdrawal of the French loans helped to cause the collapse of Austria's largest bank in May, 1931, which in its turn set a series of banking collapses all over Central Europe in the summer of 1931. Curtius was intimately involved in the negotiations that led to the issuing of the Hoover Moratorium
by the U.S President Herbert Hoover
that halted war reparations
payments by Germany in June 1931 as part of the effort to limit the financial fall-out of the banking collapse.
His dismissal as foreign minister was largely brought about by pressure from General Kurt von Schleicher
and President Paul von Hindenburg
. A somewhat mediocre man, Curtius' appointment was due more to the memory of his predecessor, Gustav Stresemann
, and of the German People's Party, than to his own abilities.
Foreign Minister of Germany
The Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs is the head of the Federal Foreign Office and a member of the Cabinet of Germany. The current office holder is Guido Westerwelle...
from October, 1929 to October 1931. Curtius was a member of the national-liberal German People's Party
German People's Party
The German People's Party was a national liberal party in Weimar Germany and a successor to the National Liberal Party of the German Empire.-Ideology:...
and worked closely with Heinrich Brüning
Heinrich Brüning
Heinrich Brüning was Chancellor of Germany from 1930 to 1932, during the Weimar Republic. He was the longest serving Chancellor of the Weimar Republic, and remains a controversial figure in German politics....
to revise the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
in Germany's favor. However, Curtius was not a member of Brüning's inner circle. His notable achievement as Foreign Minister was in negotiating a customs union with Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in March 1931, but opposition from France scuttled the proposed union. To halt the union, the French withdrew a number of short loans they had made to Austria; the withdrawal of the French loans helped to cause the collapse of Austria's largest bank in May, 1931, which in its turn set a series of banking collapses all over Central Europe in the summer of 1931. Curtius was intimately involved in the negotiations that led to the issuing of the Hoover Moratorium
Hoover Moratorium
The Hoover Moratorium was a public statement issued by U.S. President Herbert Hoover on June 20, 1931, which he hoped would ease the coming international economic crisis, as well as provide time for recovery. Hoover's proposition was to put a one-year moratorium on payments of World War I and other...
by the U.S President Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
that halted war reparations
War reparations
War reparations are payments intended to cover damage or injury during a war. Generally, the term war reparations refers to money or goods changing hands, rather than such property transfers as the annexation of land.- History :...
payments by Germany in June 1931 as part of the effort to limit the financial fall-out of the banking collapse.
His dismissal as foreign minister was largely brought about by pressure from General Kurt von Schleicher
Kurt von Schleicher
Kurt von Schleicher was a German general and the last Chancellor of Germany during the era of the Weimar Republic. Seventeen months after his resignation, he was assassinated by order of his successor, Adolf Hitler, in the Night of the Long Knives....
and President Paul von Hindenburg
Paul von Hindenburg
Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg , known universally as Paul von Hindenburg was a Prussian-German field marshal, statesman, and politician, and served as the second President of Germany from 1925 to 1934....
. A somewhat mediocre man, Curtius' appointment was due more to the memory of his predecessor, Gustav Stresemann
Gustav Stresemann
was a German politician and statesman who served as Chancellor and Foreign Minister during the Weimar Republic. He was co-laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1926.Stresemann's politics defy easy categorization...
, and of the German People's Party, than to his own abilities.