Sir Robert Anthony Eden, Earl of Avon

British politician. He served in the First World War while studying at Oxford University, and after graduating, he became a Conservative member of the House of Commons in 1923. He was appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal in 1934, and after serving as Minister for the League of Nations, he became Foreign Secretary in 1935. As Foreign Secretary, he promoted a policy of non-intervention during the Spanish Civil War, but he came into conflict with Prime Minister Chamberlain over policy toward Italy, and resigned in February 1938, becoming a leading critic of the appeasement policy. He returned to the government at the start of World War II, and served as Minister for the Dominions, Minister for War, and Foreign Secretary. In particular, during his four years and eight months as Foreign Secretary, he demonstrated strong leadership in Britain's wartime diplomacy. After the war, he served as Foreign Secretary again from 1951, and played a major role in organizing the Geneva Conference (1954). In April 1955, he succeeded Churchill as Prime Minister. The following year, in 1956, faced with the nationalization of the Suez Canal by the Egyptian government, he conspired with France and Israel to attack Egypt, but he faced fierce criticism both at home and abroad, and with his health deteriorating, he was forced to resign in January 1957. After that, he retired from the political stage and spent the rest of his life writing memoirs that would become valuable historical documents of modern history.

[Yoichi Kibata]

"Eden Memoirs, translated by Takeshi Machino et al., 4 volumes (1960-1964, Misuzu Shobo)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

イギリスの政治家。オックスフォード大学在学中に第一次世界大戦に従軍し、卒業後1923年に保守党下院議員となった。1934年に国璽尚書(こくじしょうしょ)に就任、国際連盟担当相を経て、1935年外相の座についた。外相として、スペイン内戦に際しての不干渉政策の推進などを行ったが、対イタリア政策をめぐってチェンバレン首相と対立し、1938年2月に辞任、宥和(ゆうわ)政策批判派の旗頭となった。第二次世界大戦開始によって政府に復帰し、自治領相、陸相、外相を歴任した。とりわけ4年8か月に及ぶ外相時代には、イギリスの戦時外交に強力なリーダーシップを発揮した。戦後、1951年からまたも外相を務め、ジュネーブ会議（1954）の開催などで大きな役割を果たした。1955年4月チャーチルの後を継いで首相に就任。翌1956年エジプト政府によるスエズ運河国有化に直面し、フランス、イスラエルと謀ってエジプト攻撃に踏み切ったが、国内外からの激しい批判を浴び、健康が悪化するなかで、1957年1月辞任に追い込まれた。それ以後、政治の表舞台から退き、現代史の貴重な史料となる回顧録の執筆などで余生を送った。

［木畑洋一］

『町野武他訳『イーデン回顧録』全4巻（1960～1964・みすず書房）』

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