Robert Burnett David Morier
Encyclopedia
Robert Burnett David Morier (31 March 1826 – 16 November 1893) was a British
diplomat
ist.
Born in Paris
, Morier was descended from a family of diplomatists of Huguenot
origin, the best known of whom were his father David, consul-general for France
and minister at Bern, and his uncle James, the author of The Adventures of Hajji Baba
.
After a somewhat defective private education he came up to Balliol College, Oxford
. Here he attracted the notice of Jowett
, under whose influence his brilliant but wayward mind obtained the discipline of which it stood in need. The relation of tutor
and pupil developed into a friendship of rare warmth. Writing towards the close of his life, Jowett, who inspired more devoted friendships than any man of his time, spoke of Morier as his kindest and best friend for forty-five years.
On leaving Oxford, Morier at first obtained an appointment in the Education Department, but resigned in 1852, and in the following year became attaché at Vienna
. In the succeeding years he was attached in turn to almost every court in Germany
. Restless in temperament and unconventional in method, he plunged into the vortex of German politics to a degree that did not always accord with the traditions of diplomacy
.
The most important years of his career in Germany were from 1866 to 1871, when he was secretary of legation at Darmstadt
. Here he became a trusted adviser of the crown princess, and through her acquired an intimate friendship with the crown prince
(afterwards the emperor Frederick III), whose antagonism to Bismarck
's reactionary policy met with cordial support from Morier's sturdy Liberalism
. Bismarck, already jealous of British influence at court, honored Morier with a hatred not lessened by the fact that Morier's knowledge of German politics was unrivalled outside Germany. On leaving Darmstadt, Morier became chargé d'affaires, first at Stuttgart
, and then at Munich
, and in 1876 was appointed minister at Lisbon. From 1881 to 1884 he was minister at Madrid. In December 1884 he became ambassador at St. Petersburg, and almost immediately had to face the alarming situation created by the Russia
n advance to Penjdeh. Thanks to his efforts, a war that at one moment seemed inevitable was averted. His great popularity at the Russian court contributed towards a marked improvement in the relations between the two countries.
Bismarck took alarm at the lessening influence of Germany over Russia, and tried to procure Morier's downfall. The Kolnische Zeitung declared in December 1888 that Morier had made use of his position at Darmstadt during the Franco-Prussian War
to betray the movements of the German troops to Marshal Bazaine. The authority for this charge was an alleged declaration made by Bazaine to the German military attaché at Madrid. Bazaine had died in September, but Morier had heard rumours in July of the charge brought against him, and had procured from Bazaine a written denial, which he now published in The Times. Apart from this, it was clearly shown that Morier could not have transmitted the information by the alleged date, and that Bazaine, according to the testimony of his own books and of other officers, received the information in question by reports from the front. As a matter of fact, Morier was an ardent champion of the German cause. His correspondence with Jowett shows the latter vainly endeavouring to convince his friend that the French were in the right. Public opinion everywhere, except in the German conservative
press, attributed the charge to political motives.
Morier's failing health caused him, at his own request, to be appointed Lord Dufferin's successor at Rome
in 1891; but it was felt that he could not be spared from St. Petersburg, and there he remained until forced to find a milder climate. It was then too late, and he died at Montreux
in Switzerland
on November 16, 1893.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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...
ist.
Born in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Morier was descended from a family of diplomatists of Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
origin, the best known of whom were his father David, consul-general for France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and minister at Bern, and his uncle James, the author of The Adventures of Hajji Baba
The Adventures of Hajji Baba
The Adventures of Hajji Baba is an American film, released on October 1, 1954 in the United States. The film was made in Southern California, and starred John Derek and Elaine Stewart.- Plot :...
.
After a somewhat defective private education he came up to Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
. Here he attracted the notice of Jowett
Jowett
Jowett was a manufacturer of light cars and light commercial vehicles in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England from 1906 to 1954.-Early history:Jowett was founded in 1901 by brothers Benjamin and William Jowett with Arthur V Lamb. They started in the cycle business and went on to make V-twin engines...
, under whose influence his brilliant but wayward mind obtained the discipline of which it stood in need. The relation of tutor
Tutor
A tutor is a person employed in the education of others, either individually or in groups. To tutor is to perform the functions of a tutor.-Teaching assistance:...
and pupil developed into a friendship of rare warmth. Writing towards the close of his life, Jowett, who inspired more devoted friendships than any man of his time, spoke of Morier as his kindest and best friend for forty-five years.
On leaving Oxford, Morier at first obtained an appointment in the Education Department, but resigned in 1852, and in the following year became attaché at Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. In the succeeding years he was attached in turn to almost every court in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Restless in temperament and unconventional in method, he plunged into the vortex of German politics to a degree that did not always accord with the traditions of diplomacy
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
.
The most important years of his career in Germany were from 1866 to 1871, when he was secretary of legation at Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
. Here he became a trusted adviser of the crown princess, and through her acquired an intimate friendship with the crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
(afterwards the emperor Frederick III), whose antagonism to Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
's reactionary policy met with cordial support from Morier's sturdy Liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
. Bismarck, already jealous of British influence at court, honored Morier with a hatred not lessened by the fact that Morier's knowledge of German politics was unrivalled outside Germany. On leaving Darmstadt, Morier became chargé d'affaires, first at Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, and then at Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, and in 1876 was appointed minister at Lisbon. From 1881 to 1884 he was minister at Madrid. In December 1884 he became ambassador at St. Petersburg, and almost immediately had to face the alarming situation created by the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n advance to Penjdeh. Thanks to his efforts, a war that at one moment seemed inevitable was averted. His great popularity at the Russian court contributed towards a marked improvement in the relations between the two countries.
Bismarck took alarm at the lessening influence of Germany over Russia, and tried to procure Morier's downfall. The Kolnische Zeitung declared in December 1888 that Morier had made use of his position at Darmstadt during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
to betray the movements of the German troops to Marshal Bazaine. The authority for this charge was an alleged declaration made by Bazaine to the German military attaché at Madrid. Bazaine had died in September, but Morier had heard rumours in July of the charge brought against him, and had procured from Bazaine a written denial, which he now published in The Times. Apart from this, it was clearly shown that Morier could not have transmitted the information by the alleged date, and that Bazaine, according to the testimony of his own books and of other officers, received the information in question by reports from the front. As a matter of fact, Morier was an ardent champion of the German cause. His correspondence with Jowett shows the latter vainly endeavouring to convince his friend that the French were in the right. Public opinion everywhere, except in the German conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
press, attributed the charge to political motives.
Morier's failing health caused him, at his own request, to be appointed Lord Dufferin's successor at Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1891; but it was felt that he could not be spared from St. Petersburg, and there he remained until forced to find a milder climate. It was then too late, and he died at Montreux
Montreux
Montreux is a municipality in the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.It is located on Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps and has a population, , of and nearly 90,000 in the agglomeration.- History :...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
on November 16, 1893.