Carl Jacob Burckhardt
His career alternated between periods of academic historical research and diplomatic postings; the most prominent of the latter were League of Nations High Commissioner for the Free City of Danzig (1937–39) and President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (1945–48).
Burckhardt earned his doctorate in 1922, and then accepted an appointment with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which posted him to Asia Minor, where he assisted in the resettlement of Greeks expelled from Turkey following Greece's 1922 defeat.
In that position, he aimed to maintain the international status of Danzig guaranteed by the League of Nations, which brought him into contact with a number of prominent Nazis as he attempted to stave off increasing German demands.
[2] The Treaty of Versailles declared the Free City to be a demilitarized zone, but made an exception by allowing the Polish Army to maintain a Military Transit Depot on the Westerplatte peninsula that faced Danzig harbour.
[3] The American historian Gerhard Weinberg wrote about Burchhardt's role as High Commissioner: "He would protect the Danzig opposition parties and the Jewish population as much as possible, but this was done to be with a minimum of friction and publicity".
[4] Burkhardt was regarded as the logical choice to serve as the League High Commissioner as he was experienced diplomat from a neutral nation whose first language was German.
[4] Burckhardt was a close friend of Baron Ernst von Weizsäcker, the long-time German minister-plenipotentiary to Switzerland whom had strongly urged him to take the post.
[4] Burckhardt was hesitant to take up the post of League of Nations high commissioner as Lester had the subject of harassment and threats from the Danzig Nazis, but Weizsäcker assured him that he would not face such difficulties as he was known to be friend of Germany.
[4] As a conservative Swiss from a Großbürgertum family with strong connections to the German elite, Burckhardt was felt to be the ideal man to represent the League in Danzig.
[8] Weinberg wrote about the relationship between Forster and Gresier: "The two could not abide each other, and the very fact that both were faithful followers of Hitler only made them rivals for the latter's affection and support.
[10] Burckhardt's first major crisis occurred with the murder of Hans Wiechmann, the leader of the Danzig Social Democratic Party, who was killed by the Nazis right after meeting him.
[10] In a report to the League Council, Burckhardt stated that he was attempting to solve the problem in a "realistic" way by negotiating and lashed out at the World Jewish Congress, which he accused of only acting for "propagandistic" reasons.
[14] As Germany was not a member of the League of Nations having left in 1933, Burckhardt had to obtain the approval of both Eden and the Polish Foreign Minister Colonel Józef Beck to meet Hitler.
[14] However, the meeting ended with Hitler telling Burckhardt that he would order Forster to back down on the flag issue along with the plans to change the constitution of the Free City.
[16] In January 1938, all Jewish doctors and lawyers were forbidden to practice in the Free City, leading to the "Council of Three" to make representations over the violation of the Danzig constitution.
[19] Burckhardt told Duff Cooper that he was "a ghost representing the League of Nations", but he had "grown most optimistic and is beginning to believe that the Nazi regime will come to a good end".
[20] In December 1938, Burchkhardt found himself caught up in the Nazi in-fighting as the gauleiter of East Prussia, Erich Koch told him in a meeting at the antechamber of the Auswärtiges Amt that there was a "radical" group of Nazis that consisted of Forster along with the Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, the Reichsführer-SS Henrich Himmler, the Propaganda minister Josef Goebbels, and SS Gruppenführer Hermann Behrends who were pressing for war against Poland.
[22] Koch told Burckhardt that he wanted his help, saying that Hitler respected him and that he could counter the "radicals" by using his influence with the Poles to facilitate Danzig rejoining Germany peacefully.
[22] The rumors of the gun-running into the Free City led to repeated Polish complaints to Burckhardt that Forster and Greiser were violating the Treaty of Versailles.
[23] Shephard complained that the Jewish community of the Free City was being subjected to increasing severe persecution, and that Burckhardt's role was limited to making protests.
[23] Contra Shepard, Burckhardt argued that Hitler did not want a war with Poland, and that his goals were limited to securing the peaceful return of Danzig to Germany.
[25] The British peace plan also called for Germany to take over the task of representing the Free City abroad, but for the rest of the Polish special rights in Danzig such as control of the customs service to remain.
[25] Burckhardt expressed approval of Halifax's peace plan, but stated that the "chauvinism" of Polish public opinion would probably lead to its rejection by Poland.
[29] Ribbentrop told Burckhardt that the Paris correspondent of the Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, a Herr Krug von Nidda, had just toured France and reported that the French people were overwhelmingly against war for Poland.
[29] In his reports from July 1939, Burckhardt noted that in violation of the Treaty of Versailles which had declared the Free City to be a demilitarized zone that the Danzig officials were bringing in arms from Germany.
[27] However, Burckhardt stated that Forster had assured him that the gun-running was only a defensive measure as he feared that the Poles would attempt to annex the Free City, and that Hitler did not want war with Poland.
[30] As intended, Burckhardt reported this statement to the governments of Poland, France and the United Kingdom, which gave the impression the Danzig crisis was only a minor issue that could be settled some-time over the next two years.
[31] On 10 August 1939, Forster told Burckhardt that Hitler wanted to see him at the Berghof high up in the Bavarian Alps and that he was not to tell the Poles, the French and the British about the secret invitation.
[34] Chodacki had an unpleasant meeting with Burckhardt where he chided him for not telling the Polish government about his summit in Berchtesgaden as he reminded him that his duties as the League of Nations commissioner required him to be neutral.
While in that position, he was also active in a leading role in the ICRC, traveling to Germany several times to negotiate for better treatment of civilians and prisoners, in part using the contacts gained during his two years as High Commissioner in Danzig.
