Akademik

(1882-1947)

   diplomat; State Secretary in the Foreign Office during 1924-1930. He was born in Berlin*; his father was a general, ennobled by Wilhelm II in 1899, who also served in Prussia's* Abgeordnetenhaus. Through his mother (born von Stumm), he inherited both an interest in the Saar's* steel industry and a large winegrowing estate near Trier. After taking a doctorate in law from Heidelberg, he entered the diplomatic ser-vice in 1906.

   Despite a gruff manner, Schubert was a conscientious diplomat who enjoyed rapid promotion. Before the war he was posted to Washington, Brussels, Lisbon, and London. After service with the army he was assigned in 1915 to the embassy in Bern. In 1919 he accompanied the delegation to Versailles. He was sent to London to reinstate the German embassy in 1920 and took charge in August of the Foreign Office's English desk. In December 1921 he was promoted to min-isterial director and head of the Western Department (Great Britain and the Americas).

   Methodical and conservative, Schubert was wary of Ago von Maltzan*; al-though he was friendly with the Eastern Department chief, he thought that Maltzan's reports of an impending Russo-French accord were "cock-and-bull stories." Persuaded that Germany must improve its position by cooperating with Britain, he fostered an amiable outlook paralleling that of many German finan-cial experts. Thus, hopeful that the April 1922 Genoa Conference* could resolve the reparations* issue and promote European recovery, he was aghast to learn that Walther Rathenau* had signed the Rapallo Treaty* with the Soviets.

   Since Schubert's stance vis-a-vis the West harmonized with Gustav Strese-mann's* aspirations, the Foreign Minister promoted him to State Secretary in December 1924. With great command of detail, he gained the trust of his chief and coordinated many of the political and economic technicalities tied to Strese-mann's diplomacy. When Stresemann's health disabled him, Schubert served as the Foreign Minister's surrogate in cabinet meetings, at the League of Nations, and in other diplomatic venues. His efforts on behalf of the Locarno Treaties* and the League were crucial to Stresemann.

   In June 1930, after Stresemann's death and the collapse of Hermann Müller's* cabinet, Schubert was displaced by Bernhard von Bülow.* Posted to Rome as Ambassador, he was temporarily retired in September 1932, a retirement made permanent in July 1933.

   REFERENCES:Benz and Graml, Biographisches Lexikon; Fink, Frohn, and Heideking, Genoa; Jacobson, Locarno Diplomacy; Krüger, Aussenpolitik.