Joachim von Ribbentrop

A diplomat for Nazi Germany. The son of a military man. After living in England, France, Canada, and other countries, he served in World War I, and after the war became a successful wine merchant and married the daughter of a champagne brewer. He was adopted by his aunt and acquired his noble title. He joined the Nazi Party in 1932, and played a significant role behind the scenes when Hitler came to power. He called himself "Hitler's foreign policy advisor," and after the government was established, he set up the "Ribbentrop Institute," which operated in defiance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and concluded the Anglo-German Naval Agreement in 1935. He became ambassador to Britain in 1936, and in 1938 became foreign minister, replacing Neurath. He was originally an advocate of Anglo-German compromise, and was allied with Hitler through anti-Communism, but around this time he changed his stance to an anti-British one, and signed the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact in 1939. With the outbreak of World War II, he strengthened military ties with Japan, and in 1940 formed the Tripartite Pact between Japan, Germany, and Italy. During the war, his political influence rapidly faded. After the war, he was executed by hanging at the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg.

[Teruo Yoshida]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ナチス・ドイツの外交官。軍人の子。イギリス、フランス、カナダなどに在住ののち、第一次世界大戦に従軍し、戦後ぶどう酒商人として成功、シャンペン醸造元の娘と結婚した。貴族称号は叔母との養子縁組により得る。1932年ナチス党に入り、ヒトラー政権成立の際、舞台裏で少なからぬ役割を演じた。彼は自ら「ヒトラーの外交政策顧問」と称し、政権成立後「リッベントロップ機関」を設け、外務省を無視して活動し、1935年英独海軍協定を成立させた。1936年駐英大使、1938年ノイラートにかわり外相となった。元来ヒトラーとは反共産主義で結び付いた英独妥協論者であったが、このころ反英路線に転じ、1939年独ソ不可侵条約を結び、第二次世界大戦の勃発(ぼっぱつ)をみると日本との軍事的連携を強め、1940年日独伊三国同盟を成立させた。戦争中、彼の政治的影響力は急速に失われた。戦後ニュルンベルク国際軍事裁判で絞首刑になった。

［吉田輝夫］

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