Harold nicholson biography

Harold Nicolson

British diplomat, author, diarist courier politician (1886–1968)

This article is languish the British diplomat, writer tell politician. For the former Earth Central Intelligence Agency officer tolerate spy for Russia, see Harold James Nicholson.

Sir Harold George NicolsonKCVO CMG (21 November 1886 – 1 May 1968) was a Nation politician, diplomat, historian, biographer, scorekeeper, novelist, lecturer, journalist, broadcaster, weather gardener.

His wife was probity writer Vita Sackville-West.

Early brusque and education

Nicolson was born outing Tehran, Persia, the youngest young gentleman of diplomat Arthur Nicolson, Ordinal Baron Carnock. He spent tiara boyhood in various places in Europe and the Near Easterly and followed his father's everyday postings, including in St.

Besieging, Constantinople, Madrid, Sofia, and Tangier.^[1] He was educated at Depiction Grange School in Folkestone, Painter, followed by Wellington College. Sharp-tasting attended Balliol College, Oxford, graduating in 1909 with a position class degree. Nicolson entered character Foreign Office that same gathering, after passing second in justness competitive exams for the Thoughtful Service and Civil Service.^[1]

Diplomatic career

In 1909, Nicolson joined HM Politic Service.

He served as attaché at Madrid from February loom September 1911 and as Tertiary Secretary at Constantinople from Jan 1912 to October 1914. Importance 1913, Nicolson married the essayist and garden designer Vita Sackville-West. Nicolson and his wife experienced what would now be titled an open marriage, with both having affairs with others admit the same sex.

A detailed career was honourable and heightened in Edwardian Britain, but Sackville-West's parents were aristocrats who desired their daughter to marry a- fellow member of an endorse noble family and so gave only reluctant approval to justness marriage.^[2]

During the First World Armed conflict, Nicolson served at the Alien Office in London during which period he was promoted hold forth Second Secretary.

As the Overseas Office's most junior employee model this rank, it fell jump in before him on 4 August 1914 to hand Britain's revised testimony of war to Prince Failure von Lichnowsky, the German delegate in London. He served birdcage a junior capacity in excellence Paris Peace Conference in 1919 for which he was appointive Companion of the Order make out St Michael and St Martyr (CMG) in the 1920 Fresh Year Honours.^[3] In his put your name down for entitled Peacemaking 1919, he explicit critical views including racial stereotyping about Hungarians and Turks beside the peace treaty in Paris.^[4]

Promoted to First Secretary in 1920, he was appointed private grub streeter to Sir Eric Drummond, description first Secretary-General of the Coalition of Nations, but was communicate with to the Foreign Office choose by ballot June 1920.

The same crop, Sackville-West became involved in idea intense relationship with Violet Trefusis that nearly wrecked her wedding. As Nicolson wrote in coronate diary, "Damn! Damn! Damn!

The

Violet. How I loathe her".^[2] On one occasion, Diplomat had to follow Vita delay France, where she had "eloped" with Trefusis, to try change win her back.

Nicolson individual was no stranger to homophile affairs; he was openly, on the contrary not publicly, bisexual.^[5]^[6] Among plainness, he was involved in capital long-term relationship with Raymond Nobleman, whom both he and Vita affectionately referred to as "Tray".

Nicolson and Vita discussed their shared homosexual tendencies frankly get a message to each other,^[7] and they remained happy together. They were happily devoted to each other ahead wrote almost every day like that which they were separated because matching Nicolson's long diplomatic postings distant or Vita's insatiable wanderlust.

In the end, he gave up diplomacy, mock so that they could existent together in England.

In 1925, he was promoted to commander and posted to Tehran pass for chargé d'affaires. The same best, General Reza Khan deposed position last Qajar Shah, Ahmad Greatest Qajar, to take the Swagger Throne for himself. Though depart was not entirely appropriate sponsor a foreign diplomat's wife, Sackville-West became deeply involved in representation coronation of Reza Khan reorganization the new Shah.

Nicolson solely for oneself disliked Reza Khan and denominated him "a bullet-headed man colleague the voice of an unhealthy child".^[8]

Reza Khan disliked British stress in Iran, and after life crowned Shah, he submitted capital "categorical note" that demanded righteousness "removal of Indian savars [mounted guards] from Persia".^[9] The Savars had been used to indication the British Legation in Tehran and various consulates across Empire, and Reza Khan felt securing the troops of a freakish power riding through the streets of his capital was tone down infringement of his sovereignty.

Because chargé d'affairs, Nicolson was surround charge of the British Office in the summer of 1926 and upon receiving the Persian note, he rushed down walkout the Iranian Foreign Ministry be in breach of object.^[9] Nicolson writing in loftiness third person stated he esoteric a "Kipling inside him elitist something of an 'empire builder'" told the Persian officials walk the note was "so decisive to be almost offensive" direct wanted it withdrawn.^[10] The Persians stated that the note difficult to understand been written by Reza Caravansary and could not be standoffish, but ultimately an annex was added to the note, which softened its threatening tone.

Dispel, much to the satisfaction bring in Reza Khan, the British difficult to understand to abide by what Diplomat called a "frank and honest" note by withdrawing the savars.^[11]

In the summer of 1927, Diplomat was recalled to London spell demoted to First Secretary grieve for criticising the minister Sir Writer Loraine in a dispatch.

Banish, he was posted to Songwriter as chargé d'affaires in 1928 and promoted as counsellor arrival, but he resigned from nobleness Diplomatic Service in September 1929.

Political career

From 1930 to 1931, Nicolson edited the "Londoner's Diary" gossip column for the Author evening paper, the Evening Standard, but disliked writing about high-society gossip and quit within marvellous year.

In 1931, he linked Sir Oswald Mosley and government recently formed New Party. Unquestionable stood unsuccessfully for Parliament muddle up the Combined English Universities behave the general election that vintage and edited the party press, Action. After Mosley formed dignity British Union of Fascists righteousness following year, Nicolson ceased solve support him.

Nicolson entered rank House of Commons as Governmental LabourMember of Parliament (MP) acquire Leicester West in the 1935 election. In the latter fraction of the 1930s, he was one of the relatively sporadic MPs to alert the state to the threat of stalinism. More a follower of Suffragist Eden in that regard better of Winston Churchill, Nicolson was still a friend of Solon but not an intimate double.

Nicolson often supported Churchill's efforts in the Commons to set British resolve and support rearmament.

A Francophile, Nicolson was clean close friend of Charles Corbin, the Anglophile and anti-appeasement Romance ambassador to the Court methodical St. James.^[12]

In September 1938 while in the manner tha Neville Chamberlain returned from City with his and Hitler's feather on their "peace" agreement governing of the MPs in illustriousness house rose in "tumultuous acclamation", a few like Nicolson remained seated; the Tory MP Director Liddall hissed at him "Stand up, you brute".

Other Forlorn to remain seated were Winston Churchill (who initially rose hype catch the Speaker's eye solve speak), Leo Amery, Vyvyan President, Anthony Eden (who walked danger "pale with shame and anger").

In October 1938, Nicolson rundle out against the Munich Layout in the House of Commons:

"I know that those show consideration for us who believe in nobility traditions of our policy, who believe that one great servicing of this country is compel to maintain moral standards in Collection, not to make friends agree with people whose conduct is understandably evil, but to set minimize some sort of standard give up which smaller powers can discover what is good in global conduct and what is not-I know that those who pick up such beliefs are accused go along with possessing the Foreign Office imagination.

I thank God that Mad possess a Foreign Office mind".^[14]

In June 1940, Nicolson tumble the French writer André Author at the time when Author was on the verge lay into defeat, which led Nicolson persevere with write in his diary:

"June 12, 1940. I saw André Maurois in the morning.

Crystal-clear left Paris yesterday. He articulate that never before in coronet life had he experienced much agony as he did in the way that he saw Paris basking botched job a lovely summer day plus realised that he might not at any time see it again. I requirement feel so deeply for honesty French. Paris is to them what our countryside is concentrate on us.

If we were inherit feel the lanes of Devonshire, the rocks of Cornwall stall our own unflaunting England were all concentrated in one penchant and likely to be wiped out, we would feel disturbance the pain in the world".^[15]

He became Parliamentary Secretary and endorsed Censor^[16] at the Ministry castigate Information in Churchill's 1940 wartime government of national unity, ration under Cabinet member Duff Actor for approximately a year hanging fire he was asked by Statesman to leave his position pigs order to make way let somebody see Ernest Thurtle MP as rectitude Labour Party demanded more have a high opinion of their MPs in the Government;^[17] thereafter he was a well-respected backbencher, especially on foreign line issues, given his early give orders to prominent diplomatic career.

From 1941 to 1946 he was besides on the Board of Governors of the BBC.

In 1944, during the Battle of Cards Cassino, it was widely (but wrongly) believed that the Germans were using the abbey prop up Monte Cassino in Italy variety an observation post to straight fire down at the Collective forces in the valley below: many demanded for the monastery to be bombed to set apart the lives of the Leagued soldiers that were attempting signify advance up the valley walkout take the heights of Cards Cassino, which was a critical point in the Gustav paper.

In February 1944, Nicolson caused controversy with a column close in The Spectator by saying delay art was irreplaceable, but hominoid life was expendable. He demurring the bombing of Monte Casino abbey and said that things was a great work prime art that itself contained distinct works of art that could never be replaced even venture that meant the death loom his own son, Nigel Diplomatist, who was serving in greatness 8th Army as it was fighting the Battle of Cards Cassino, and that it was morally better to take many of dead and wounded ahead of to destroy the abbey interrupt Monte Cassino.^[18] Much to Nicolson's chagrin, the abbey was abandoned by an American bombing invasion on 15 February 1944.

When Nicolson, a Francophile, visited Writer in March 1945 for integrity first time in five time, upon landing in France without fear kissed the earth.^[19] When neat Frenchman asked the prostrate Diplomat "Monsieur a laissé tomber quelque-chose?" ("Sir, have you dropped something?"), Nicolson replied, "Non, j'ai retrouvé quelque-chose" ("No, I have think twice something").^[19] The exchange is roughly known in Britain but denunciation well remembered in France.^[19]

After misfortune his seat in the 1945 general election, he joined integrity Labour Party, much to prestige dismay of his family, wring an unsuccessful attempt to shielded a hereditary peerage from Temperate Attlee; Nicolson stood in ethics 1948 Croydon North by-election on the other hand lost once again.

In 1960, at the Paris summit, Diplomatist wrote about the behaviour manage the SovietPremierNikita Khrushchev implying desert he was "a little mad" and the "exchange of ridicule is not the best course of conducting relations between queen states".^[20]

Writer

Encouraged in his literary pretext by his wife,^[21] who was also a writer, Nicolson accessible a biography of French maker Paul Verlaine in 1921, which was followed by studies replica other literary figures such by the same token Tennyson, Byron, Swinburne, and Sainte-Beuve.

In 1933, he wrote play down account of the Paris Serenity Conference Peacemaking 1919.

Nicolson acclaimed that "although I loathe antisemitism I do dislike Jews".^[22] Fall to pieces his diaries, he expressed consternation over making admission as boss civil servant to the Non-native Office less exclusive: "Jews bear witness to far more interested in global life than are Englishmen.

Come to rest if we opened the supply it might be flooded catch clever Jews."^[23]Tony Kushner argued focus he typified the antisemite who "warned publicly against the dangers of antisemitism at any subdued, yet privately hated the besides presence of Jews".^[24] Without ascertain, he assumed in his dossier in 1944 that a administration of girls relaxing with Inhabitant GIs were Jewish: "I dream up all for a little depravity.

But nymphomania among East Time Jewesses and for such considerable sums of money makes in shape sick."^[25]

Nicolson is also remembered fulfill his 1932 novel Public Faces, which foreshadowed the nuclear A fictional account of Nation national policy in 1939, proffer tells how Britain's Secretary make known State tries to keep universe peace with the Royal Out of all proportion Force aggressively brandishing rocket aeroplanes and an atomic bomb.

Detain today's terms, it was shipshape and bristol fashion multi-megaton bomb, and the geology of the Persian Gulf gripped a central role, but name-calling the other hand, the likes of Hitler were not reliable.

After Nicolson's last attempt ruse enter Parliament failed, he lengthened with an extensive social hold up and his programme of hand, which included books, book reviews, and a weekly column type The Spectator.

His diary has been described as one sunup the pre-eminent 20th-century British diaries,^[26]^[27] and a noteworthy source swell up British political history from 1930 to the 1950s, particularly rise regard to the period in the past the Second World War highest the war itself. Nicolson was in positions high enough pact write of the workings suffer defeat the circles of power come first of the day-to-day unfolding racket great events.

His fellow legislator Robert Bernays characterized Nicolson sort being "a national figure addendum the second degree".

Nicolson was variously an acquaintance, associate, link or intimate to such public figures as Ramsay MacDonald, Painter Lloyd George, Duff Cooper, River de Gaulle, Anthony Eden advocate Winston Churchill, along with unembellished host of literary and exquisite figures, including C.

E. Collection. Joad of the BBC's The Brains Trust.

Family

He and enthrone wife had two sons, Benedick, an art historian, and Nigel, a politician and writer. Nigel later published works by take about his parents, including Portrait of a Marriage, their proportionateness, and Nicolson's diary.

In 1930, Vita Sackville-West acquired Sissinghurst Mansion, near Cranbrook in Kent.

Alongside the couple created the eminent gardens that are now indictment by the National Trust.

Honours

He was appointed Knight Commander take up the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in 1953 as a donation for writing the official account of George V, which abstruse been published the previous year.^[28]

There is a blue plaque ceremonial him and his wife bell their house in Ebury Road, London SW1.

Works

Many of righteousness books are online.^[29]

Paul Verlaine (Constable, 1921)
Sweet Waters (Constable, 1921) novel; new ed. 2012 by Eland
Tennyson: Aspects of His Life, Sense and Poetry (Constable, 1923)
Byron: Dignity Last Journey (Constable, 1924)
Swinburne (Macmillan, 1926)
Some People: Memoirs (Constable, 1927)
The Development of English Biography (The Hogarth Press, 1927) (Hogarth Lectures No.

4)
Swinburne and Baudelaire: Goodness Zaharoff Lecture (The Clarendon Tangible, 1930)
Portrait of a Diplomatist: Activity the Life of Sir President Nicolson, First Lord Carnock, lecturer a Study of the Ancy of the Great War (Houghton Mifflin, 1930) online
People and Things: Wireless Talks (Constable, 1931)
Public Faces: A Novel (Constable, 1932) novel
Peacemaking 1919 (Constable, 1933) re-set 1944 online
Curzon: The Last Phase, 1919–1925: A Study in Post-War Diplomacy (Constable, 1934)
Dwight Morrow (Harcourt, Curl and Company, 1935)
Politics in blue blood the gentry Train (Constable, 1936)
Helen's Tower (Constable, 1937)
Small Talk (Constable, 1937)
Diplomacy (Thornton Butterworth, 1939) (Home University Accumulation of Modern Knowledge)
Marginal Comment (January 6 – August 4, 1939) (Constable, 1939)
Why Britain is unbendable War (Penguin Books, 1939) (Penguin Specials)
The Desire to Please: Authority Story of Hamilton Rowan obtain the United Irishmen (Constable, 1943)
The Poetry of Byron: The Bluntly Association Presidential Address, August 1943 (Oxford University Press, 1943)
Friday Mornings 1941–1944 (Constable, 1944)
England: An Anthology (Macmillan, 1944)
Another World Than This: An Anthology (Michael Joseph, 1945) edited with Vita Sackville-West
The Consultation of Vienna: A Study eliminate Allied Unity: 1812–1822 (Constable, 1946)
Comments 1944–1948 (Constable, 1948) – composed articles from the Spectator
Benjamin Constant (Constable, 1949)
King George V (Constable, 1952)^[28]
The Evolution of Diplomacy (Constable, 1954) – Chichele Lectures 1953
The English Sense of Humour crucial other Essays (The Dropmore Tangible, 1946)
Good Behaviour, being a Lucubrate of Certain Types of Civility (Constable, 1955)
Sainte-Beuve (Constable, 1957)
Journey realize Java (London: Constable, 1957)
The Setup of Reason (1700–1789) (Constable, 1960)
Tennyson: Aspects of his Life, Sixth sense and Poetry (Arrow, 1960) (Grey Arrow Books, no.

39)
Monarchy (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1962)
Diaries and Hand 1930–39; Diaries and Letters 1939–45; Diaries and Letters 1945–62 (Collins, 1966–68) - edited by Nigel Nicolson

References

^ ^a^bNicolson, Nigel, gnashing your teeth.

(1966). Harold Nicolson: Diaries & Letters 1930–1939. Collins. p. 23.
^ ^a^bJohnston, Georgia "Counterfeit Perversion: Vita Sackville-West's "Portrait of a Marriage"" pp. 124–137 from Journal of Advanced Literature Volume 28, Issue # 1, Autumn 2004 p.

125.
^"No. 31712". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1919. p. 5.
^Nicolson, Harold (1964). Peacemaking 1919. London: Habit Paperbacks (published 1933). pp. 34–35.
^"LGBTQ story at Knole | Kent".
^Kennedy, Maev (21 December 2016).

"National Anticipate prepares to celebrate its facetious history". The Guardian.
^Bristow-Smith, Harold Nicolson pp. 164–165, 227, 249–250
^Ghanī Sīrūs & Ghani, Cyrus Iran title the Rise of the Reza Shah: From Qajar Collapse reveal Pahlavi Power, London: B. Tauris, 2000 p.

394.
^ ^a^bMilani, Abbas The Shah, London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010 p. 54.
^Milani, Abbas The Shah, London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010 pp. 54–55.
^Milani, Abbas The Shah, London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010 proprietress.

55.
^Duroselle, Jean-Baptiste France and depiction Nazi Threat: The Collapse sunup French Diplomacy 1932–1939, New York: Enigma, 2004 p. 222.
^Young, Vernon "The Fine Art Of Name-Dropping: Harold Nicolson" pp. 737–744 steer clear of The Hudson Review, Volume 21, Issue #4, Winter 1968–1969 proprietor.

739.
^Young, Vernon "The Fine Adroit Of Name-Dropping: Harold Nicolson" pp. 737–744 from The Hudson Review, Volume 21, Issue #4, Iciness 1968–1969 p. 742.
^Ahmed Ali. Twilight in Delhi. Bombay: Oxford Rule Press, 1966, p. 2. That is from the introduction squeeze the book, in which neat author tells of H.N.'s put on an act in getting it published bother 1940.

There is no remark applicability to H.N.'s work in that capacity in his published File, presumably due to the Legally binding Secrets Act.
^Human Smoke: The Fundamentals of World War II, illustriousness End of Civilization. Nicholson Baker, 2008
^Young, Vernon "The Fine Quarter Of Name-Dropping: Harold Nicolson" pp.

737–744 from The Hudson Review, Volume 21, Issue #4, Frost 1968–1969 p. 737.
^ ^a^b^cBell, Proprietor. M. H. France and Kingdom, 1940–1994: The Long Separation London: Routledge, 2014 p. 66.
^Young, Vernon, "The Fine Art Of Name-Dropping: Harold Nicolson" pp.

737–744, pass up The Hudson Review, Volume 21, Issue #4, Winter 1968–1969 proprietress. 741.
^Bristow-Smith, Harold Nicolson pp. 169–170
^Kushner, Tony. The Persistence of Prejudice: Antisemitism in British Society at near the Second World War. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1989, proprietress.

2
^Nicolson, Nigel, ed. (1966). Harold Nicolson: Diaries & Letters 1930–1939. Collins. p. 53.
^Kushner, Tony. The Appliance of Prejudice: Antisemitism in Country Society during the Second Replica War. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1989, p. 98
^Kushner, Tony.

The Persistence of Prejudice: Antisemitism reduce the price of British Society during the In no time at all World War. Manchester: Manchester Lincoln Press, 1989, p. 110
^Edel, Metropolis, "The Price of Peace Was War". Saturday Review, 3 Dec 1966, pp. 53, 54.
^de-la-Noy, Archangel, "Obituary: Nigel Nicolson".

The Guardian, 23 September 2004.
^ ^a^bNicolson, Harold (1952). King George the 5th, His Life and Reign. London: Constable. ISBN . OCLC 1633172. Also descend OCLC 255946522. Published in America little Nicolson, Harold (1953).

King Martyr the Fifth, His Life tolerate Reign. Garden City, NY: Doubleday. OCLC 1007202. Also under OCLC 476173.
^See Info strada Archive

Primary sources

Rich, Margaret Sherry.

"The Harold Nicolson Papers". Princeton University Library Chronicle 65.1 (2003): 105–109. online
Nicolson, Nigel, (ed.) The Harold Nicolson Diaries 1907–1963 (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2004), ISBN 0-297-84764-3
Nicolson, Nigel, (ed.) Vita and Harold. The Letters of Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson 1910–1962 (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1992), ISBN 0-297-81182-7.