Gottlieb von Jagow

Gottlieb von Jagow (22 June 1863, Berlin – 11 January 1935, Potsdam) was a German diplomat. He served as the foreign minister of Germany between January 1913 and 1916.

Jagow was educated at the University of Bonn. He entered the diplomatic service in 1895, and was first assigned to the German embassy in Rome, then to the Prussian mission at Munich. After he passed his examination in diplomacy in 1897, he was assigned to the Prussian mission at Hamburg, but quickly switched again to Rome, where he advanced to the position of Second Secretary (legation counselor). After a short interlude with the German mission at The Hague, he returned as First Secretary to the embassy in Rome in March 1901, where he stayed until 1906, when he was transferred to the Foreign Office in Berlin. He first made his mark as private secretary to Bernhard von Bülow, former Imperial Chancellor. In December 1907 he was appointed Envoy Extraordinary to Luxembourg, in May 1909 he became German ambassador at Rome. During the Italo-Turkish War, he conducted important negotiations with the Italian government and, it is said, prevented a war between Austria-Hungary and Italy at the time.

In 1913, he was appointed Secretary of State for Germany. He played an active part in the negotiations preceding the outbreak of World War I, and was, in particular, concerned in the German relations with Austria, having been the first member of the Imperial Government in Berlin to become acquainted with the terms of the Austrian ultimatum of 18 October 1913 to Serbia, the first indication of the crisis of July 1914. And yet Sir Martin Gilbert wrote "War seemed unlikely in the spring and summer of 1914". The illusion of war debate began with aims of colonial annexation and supremacy in Africa. Negotiated neutrality for other states to effectively invade France. Asserted attempts to compete with royal naval seapower. On 13 July 1914 Frans Josef I was persuaded to accept the ultimatum after Serbia failed to accommodate the Austrian Note.

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