Robert William Seton-Watson
Encyclopedia
Robert William Seton-Watson (London
, England
, August 20, 1879 – Skye
, Scotland
, July 25, 1951), commonly referred to as R.W. Seton-Watson, and also known by the pseudonym Scotus Viator, was a British political activist and historian
who played an active role in encouraging the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the emergence of Czechoslovakia
and Yugoslavia
during and after World War I
.
He was the father of two eminent historians, Hugh
, who specialised in nineteenth-century Russian history, and Christopher, who worked on nineteenth-century Italy.
, genealogist and historian, the son of George Seton of the East India Company
. His inherited wealth, of Indian origin, later assisted his activities on behalf of Europe's subject peoples.
He was educated at Winchester College
and New College
, Oxford, where he read modern history under the historian and politician H. A. L. Fisher
. He graduated with a first-class degree in 1901.
and Vienna University, from where he wrote a number of articles on Hungary
for The Spectator
. His research for these articles took him to Hungary in 1906, and his discoveries there turned his sympathies against Hungary and in favor of then-subject peoples, the Slovaks
, Romanians
, and "Southern Slavs" (Yugoslavs
). He learned Hungarian
, Croat and Czech
, and in 1908 published his first major work, Racial Problems in Hungary.
Seton-Watson became friends with the Vienna correspondent of The Times
, Henry Wickham Steed
, and of the Czech philosopher and politician Tomáš Masaryk
. He argued in books and articles for a federal
solution to the problems of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, then riven by the tensions between its ancient dynastic model and the forces of ethnic nationalism
.
Seton-Watson's private political activity was not appreciated in all quarters, and his critics within the British Government finally succeeded in temporarily silencing him in 1917 by drafting
him into the Royal Army Medical Corps
, where he was given the job of scrubbing hospital floors. Others, however, rescued him, and from 1917-1918 he served on the Intelligence Bureau of the War Cabinet in the Enemy Propaganda Department, where he was responsible for British propaganda to the peoples of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He assisted in the preparations for the Rome Congress of subject Habsburg peoples, held in April 1918.
Following the end of the War, Seton-Watson attended the Paris Peace Conference
in a private capacity, advising the representatives there of formerly subject peoples. Although on bad terms with the governments of the major powers--to whom he famously referred as "the pygmies of Paris"--he contributed to discussions of where the new frontiers of Europe should be, and was especially influential in setting the postwar frontiers between Italy and the new state of Yugoslavia
.
Although the British Government was unenthusiastic about Seton-Watson, other governments were not, and showed their gratitude after the Conference. Seton-Watson's friend Masaryk became the first president of the new state of Czechoslovakia
, to which he welcomed him. His friendship with Edvard Beneš
, now Czechoslovakia's foreign minister, was consolidated. Seton-Watson was made an honorary citizen of Cluj
in Transylvania
, which had been incorporated into Romania despite the claims of Hungary, and in 1920 was formally acclaimed by the Romanian parliament. Yugoslavia rewarded him with an honorary degree from the University of Zagreb
.
in 1915, partly to provide employment for his then-exiled friend Masaryk, and in 1922 was appointed there as the first holder of the Masaryk chair in Central European history, a post he held until 1945. He concentrated on his academic duties especially after 1931, when stock-market losses removed much of his personal fortune, and was appreciated by his students despite being somewhat impractical--according to Steed, he was "unpunctual, untidy, and too preoccupied with other matters. Pupils were advised not to hand over their work to him, for it would probably be mislaid."
During this time he founded and edited The Slavonic Review
with Sir Bernard Pares
.
's policy of appeasement
. In Britain and the Dictators: A Survey of Post-War British Policy (1938), he made one of the most devastating attacks on this policy. After Chamberlain's resignation, Seton-Watson held posts in the Foreign Research and Press Service (1939-1940) and Political Intelligence Bureau of the Foreign Office (1940-1942). However he had little influence on policy, partly because he did not have the access to decision makers that he had during the First World War, and partly because he was not allowed to publish his writings.
from 1946 to 1949.
In 1949, saddened by the new Soviet control of countries to whose independence he had devoted much of his life and by the death of his friend Edvard Beneš
, Czechoslovakia's last non-Communist leader before the end of the Cold War
, Seton-Watson retired to Kyle House on the Isle of Skye
, where he died in 1951.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, August 20, 1879 – Skye
Skye
Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, July 25, 1951), commonly referred to as R.W. Seton-Watson, and also known by the pseudonym Scotus Viator, was a British political activist and historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
who played an active role in encouraging the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the emergence of 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 Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
during and after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
He was the father of two eminent historians, Hugh
Hugh Seton-Watson
George Hugh Nicholas Seton-Watson , was a British historian and political scientist specializing in Russia.-Early life:...
, who specialised in nineteenth-century Russian history, and Christopher, who worked on nineteenth-century Italy.
Early life
Seton-Watson was born in London to Scottish parents. His father, William Livingstone Watson, had been a tea-merchant in Calcutta, and his mother, Elizabeth Lindsay Seton, was the daughter of George SetonGeorge Seton
George Seton was a Scottish philanthropist and genealogist.-Early life:Seton's father was a merchant in the East India Company...
, genealogist and historian, the son of George Seton of the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. His inherited wealth, of Indian origin, later assisted his activities on behalf of Europe's subject peoples.
He was educated at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
and New College
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, Oxford, where he read modern history under the historian and politician H. A. L. Fisher
Herbert Fisher
Herbert Albert Laurens Fisher OM, FRS, PC was an English historian, educator, and Liberal politician. He served as President of the Board of Education in David Lloyd George's 1916 to 1922 coalition government....
. He graduated with a first-class degree in 1901.
In Austro-Hungary
After graduation, Seton-Watson traveled to Berlin University, the SorbonneSorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
and Vienna University, from where he wrote a number of articles on Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
for The Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
. His research for these articles took him to Hungary in 1906, and his discoveries there turned his sympathies against Hungary and in favor of then-subject peoples, the Slovaks
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
, Romanians
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
, and "Southern Slavs" (Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
). He learned Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
, Croat and Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
, and in 1908 published his first major work, Racial Problems in Hungary.
Seton-Watson became friends with the Vienna correspondent of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, Henry Wickham Steed
Wickham Steed
Henry Wickham Steed was a British journalist and historian. He was editor of The Times from 1919 until 1922.-Life:...
, and of the Czech philosopher and politician Tomáš Masaryk
Tomáš Masaryk
Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk , sometimes called Thomas Masaryk in English, was an Austro-Hungarian and Czechoslovak politician, sociologist and philosopher, who as an eager advocate of Czechoslovak independence during World War I became the founder and first President of Czechoslovakia, also was...
. He argued in books and articles for a federal
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
solution to the problems of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, then riven by the tensions between its ancient dynastic model and the forces of ethnic nationalism
Ethnic nationalism
Ethnic nationalism is a form of nationalism wherein the "nation" is defined in terms of ethnicity. Whatever specific ethnicity is involved, ethnic nationalism always includes some element of descent from previous generations and the implied claim of ethnic essentialism, i.e...
.
The First World War and aftermath
After the outbreak of the First World War, Seton-Watson took practical steps to support the causes that he had formerly supported in print. He served as honorary secretary of the Serbian Relief Fund from 1914, and after his friend Masaryk fled to England to escape arrest, supported him and found him employment, and together with him founded and published The New Europe (1916), a weekly periodical which promoted the cause of the Czechs and other subject peoples. Seton-Watson financed this periodical himself.Seton-Watson's private political activity was not appreciated in all quarters, and his critics within the British Government finally succeeded in temporarily silencing him in 1917 by drafting
Drafting
Drafting or draughting may refer to:* Campdrafting, an Australian equestrian sport* Drafting , slipstreaming* Technical drawing, the act and discipline of composing diagrams that communicates how something functions or is to be constructed. E.g.:** Architectural drawing** Electrical drawing**...
him into the Royal Army Medical Corps
Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
, where he was given the job of scrubbing hospital floors. Others, however, rescued him, and from 1917-1918 he served on the Intelligence Bureau of the War Cabinet in the Enemy Propaganda Department, where he was responsible for British propaganda to the peoples of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He assisted in the preparations for the Rome Congress of subject Habsburg peoples, held in April 1918.
Following the end of the War, Seton-Watson attended the Paris Peace Conference
Paris Peace Conference, 1919
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
in a private capacity, advising the representatives there of formerly subject peoples. Although on bad terms with the governments of the major powers--to whom he famously referred as "the pygmies of Paris"--he contributed to discussions of where the new frontiers of Europe should be, and was especially influential in setting the postwar frontiers between Italy and the new state of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
Although the British Government was unenthusiastic about Seton-Watson, other governments were not, and showed their gratitude after the Conference. Seton-Watson's friend Masaryk became the first president of the new state of 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...
, to which he welcomed him. His friendship with Edvard Beneš
Edvard Beneš
Edvard Beneš was a leader of the Czechoslovak independence movement, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the second President of Czechoslovakia. He was known to be a skilled diplomat.- Youth :...
, now Czechoslovakia's foreign minister, was consolidated. Seton-Watson was made an honorary citizen of Cluj
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
in Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
, which had been incorporated into Romania despite the claims of Hungary, and in 1920 was formally acclaimed by the Romanian parliament. Yugoslavia rewarded him with an honorary degree from the University of Zagreb
University of Zagreb
The University of Zagreb is the biggest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of Southeastern Europe...
.
Between the wars
Seton-Watson had played a prominent role in establishing a School of Slavonic Studies (later the School of Slavonic and East European Studies) at King's CollegeKing's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
in 1915, partly to provide employment for his then-exiled friend Masaryk, and in 1922 was appointed there as the first holder of the Masaryk chair in Central European history, a post he held until 1945. He concentrated on his academic duties especially after 1931, when stock-market losses removed much of his personal fortune, and was appreciated by his students despite being somewhat impractical--according to Steed, he was "unpunctual, untidy, and too preoccupied with other matters. Pupils were advised not to hand over their work to him, for it would probably be mislaid."
During this time he founded and edited The Slavonic Review
The Slavonic and East European Review
The Slavonic and East European Review , the journal of the School of Slavonic and East European Studies at University College London, is an international peer-reviewed multidisciplinary academic journal in the fields of social sciences and humanities founded in...
with Sir Bernard Pares
Bernard Pares
Sir Bernard Pares KBE was an English historian and academic known for his work on Russia.-Early Life:Pares was educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated in Classics taking a third...
.
Second World War
As a long-established partisan of Czechoslovakia, Seton-Watson was naturally a firm opponent of Prime Minister Neville ChamberlainNeville Chamberlain
Arthur Neville Chamberlain FRS was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the...
's policy of appeasement
Appeasement
The term appeasement is commonly understood to refer to a diplomatic policy aimed at avoiding war by making concessions to another power. Historian Paul Kennedy defines it as "the policy of settling international quarrels by admitting and satisfying grievances through rational negotiation and...
. In Britain and the Dictators: A Survey of Post-War British Policy (1938), he made one of the most devastating attacks on this policy. After Chamberlain's resignation, Seton-Watson held posts in the Foreign Research and Press Service (1939-1940) and Political Intelligence Bureau of the Foreign Office (1940-1942). However he had little influence on policy, partly because he did not have the access to decision makers that he had during the First World War, and partly because he was not allowed to publish his writings.
Later career
In 1945 Seton-Watson was appointed to the new chair of Czechoslovak Studies at Oxford University. He was president of the Royal Historical SocietyRoyal Historical Society
The Royal Historical Society was founded in 1868. The premier society in the United Kingdom which promotes and defends the scholarly study of the past, it is based at University College London...
from 1946 to 1949.
In 1949, saddened by the new Soviet control of countries to whose independence he had devoted much of his life and by the death of his friend Edvard Beneš
Edvard Beneš
Edvard Beneš was a leader of the Czechoslovak independence movement, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the second President of Czechoslovakia. He was known to be a skilled diplomat.- Youth :...
, Czechoslovakia's last non-Communist leader before the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, Seton-Watson retired to Kyle House on the Isle of Skye
Skye
Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
, where he died in 1951.
Books by Seton-Watson
- Racial Problems in Hungary (1908)
- The Southern Slav Question (1911)
- The Rise of Nationality in the Balkans (1917)
- Europe in the Melting-Pot (1919)
- The New Slovakia (1924)
- Sarajevo : A Study In The Origin Of The Great War (1926)
- The Roll of Bosnia in international Politics 1875-1919 (1932)
- A History Of The Roumanians (1934)
- Disraeli, Gladstone And The Eastern Question (1935)
- Britain In Europe (1789-1914): A Survey Of Foreign Policy (1937)
- Britain And The Dictators: A Survey Of Post-War British Policy (1938)
- From Munich to Danzig (1939)
- Masaryk In England (1943)
- A History Of The Czechs And Slovaks (1943)
External links
- Scotus Viator (pseudonym), Racial Problems in Hungary, London: Archibald and Constable (1908), reproduced in its entirety on line.