NEURATH, KONSTANTIN, BARON VON

n.

born Feb. 2, 1873, Klein-Glattbach, Ger.

died Aug. 14, 1956, Enzweihingen, W.Ger.

German diplomat.

He entered the diplomatic service in 1903 and served as minister to Denmark (1919–22), ambassador to Italy (1922–30), and ambassador to Britain (1930–32). As Germany's foreign minister (1932–38), he lent respectability to Adolf Hitler 's expansionist foreign policy. As "protector" of Bohemia and Moravia (1939–41), he was accused of being too lenient and was replaced by Reinhard Heydrich . After World War II, he was tried and imprisoned for war crimes (1946–54).