Andrei Gromyko - a name quite famous inhistory of diplomacy of the USSR. Thanks to his intuition and personal qualities, he was able to hold on as head of the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 28 years. Similar to no one else could repeat. It was not for nothing that he was considered the number one diplomat. Although he had mistakes in his career. About this man and will be discussed in the article.
Basic facts of biography
Andrei Gromyko was born on 05.07.1909 in the village of Old Gromyki (territory of modern Belarus). He was from a poor kind, and from the age of 13 he began to earn a living by helping his father. Education of the future diplomat:
- seven year school;
- vocational school (Gomel);
- Staroborisov Agricultural College;
- Institute of Economics (Minsk);
- postgraduate studies at the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR;
- received a degree at the Institute of Economics of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR.
To work in the Office of the People's Commissariat of Foreign AffairsAndrei Gromyko, whose biography is being reviewed, came up according to two basic requirements. Namely - he had a peasant proletarian origin and mastered a foreign language.
Thus began his career in diplomacy.Already in 1939, Andrei Andreevich was appointed adviser of the USSR representation in the USA from 1939 to 1943. From 1943 to 1946, he was appointed Soviet ambassador to the United States. In addition, he took an active part in diplomatic relations with Cuba, preparing for three world conferences (Tehran, Potsdam, Yalta). The diplomat was also directly involved in the creation of the UN.
Participation in the UN
Soviet politician Gromyko AndreiAndreevich was one of those who stood at the origins of the UN in the postwar period. It is his stroke that stands under the Charter of an international organization. He was a participant, and later the head of the USSR delegation at sessions of the UN General Assembly.
In the Security Council, the diplomat had the right of veto, which he used to defend the foreign policy interests of the USSR.
Work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR
Andrei Gromyko was the head of the USSR Foreign Ministry from 1957 to 1985. During this time, he contributed to the process of negotiations on an arms race, including on the reduction of nuclear tests.
Because of the tough style in maintaining diplomaticthe negotiations of the diplomat were called in the foreign press “Mr. No”. Although he himself noted that in the negotiations he had to hear negative answers from opponents more often.
The greatest difficulties in the work at the Foreign Ministry diplomatfelt under Khrushchev, who was not satisfied with the lack of flexibility in negotiating Andrei Andreyevich. The situation changed under the leadership of the country Brezhnev. They have developed a relationship of trust. This period is considered the heyday of the influence of diplomat No. 1 on state and party affairs of the USSR.
Until the end of his life Gromyko was engaged in public affairs. He retired in 1988, and died less than a year later.
Participation in the Caribbean crisis
By 1962, the confrontation between the USSR and the USA reachedto its climax. This period was called the Caribbean crisis. To a certain extent, the incident is connected with the position of the diplomat. Andrei Gromyko held talks on this issue with John F. Kennedy, but, not possessing reliable information, the Soviet statesman could not keep them up to the mark.
The essence of the conflict between the two superpowers in additiontime was in the Soviet Union's deployment of its nuclear-powered missiles in Cuba. The weapon was located off the coast of the United States under the “top secret” stamp. Therefore, Andrei Andreevich, whose biography is being examined, knew nothing about the operation of Gromyko.
After the United States has providedphotographs confirming that the Soviet Union actually used the territory of Cuba to create a military threat against the US, it was decided to conduct a "quarantine". This meant that all vessels located at a certain distance from Cuba are subject to verification.
Советский Союз принял решение о вывозе ракет, и the threat of nuclear war was lifted. The world lived in anticipation of the war for 38 days. The resolution of the Caribbean crisis led to detente in relations between the East and the West. A new period in international relations has begun.
Interesting Facts
In honor of such a politician as GromykoAndrei Andreevich, named street and school in the city of Vetka (Belarus). And in Gomel he has a bronze bust. By 2009, compatriots released a postage stamp dedicated to the diplomat.
There are a number of unconfirmed facts about the activities of a diplomat:
- in 1985 at a meeting of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU, it was Andrei Andreevich who proposed Mikhail Gorbachev for the highest post in the country, but after 1988 he began to regret his decision;
- he expressed his motto in diplomacy in one phrase: “Better ten years of negotiations than one day of war”;
- despite the strong Belarusian accent in pronunciation, the statesman knew English very well, as evidenced by the memoirs of translator Viktor Sukhodrev;
- from 1958 to 1987 he was the editor-in-chief of the international affairs monthly.
