ABSTRACT
ADENAUER, KONRAD (1876-1967) German statesman. Mayor of Cologne, 1917-33. Removed by Nazis. Prominent member of Catholic Centre Party in Weimar Republic. President of Prussian State Council, 1920-33. Twice imprisoned by Nazis. Founded Christian Democratic Union, 1945. Elected first chancellor of Federal Republic, 1949; re-elected 1953, 1957. Also foreign minister, 1951-55. Negotiated German entry into NATO, EEC. Established diplomatic relations with USSR, 1955. Resigned 1963. ALEXANDER I (1777-1825) Tsar of Russia, 1801-25. Son of murdered Paul I. Entered War of Third Coalition against France, 1805. Obliged to conclude Treaty of Tilsit with Napoleon, 1807. Active in Fourth Coalition against France. Leading figure at Congress of Vienna, 1814-15. Secured creation of Polish Kingdom. Established ‘Holy Alliance’ with Prussia and Austria. Early promise of liberal rule gave way to reactionary policy, under influence of Metternich. ALEXANDER II (1818-81) Tsar of Russia, 1855-81. ‘The Liberator’. Son of Nicholas I. Succeeded to throne during Crimean War. Embarked on wide-ranging modernization of government. Most important reform was liberation of serfs, 1861. Innovations in legal code, 1862, and local government, education and army administration. Encouraged railway construction and banking. In foreign policy, concerned chiefly with expansion into Balkans, encouraging Pan-Slav movement. In Central Asia, Bokhara and Samarkand acquired, 1868. Russian troops reached Constantinople, 1878. Later in reign, more conservative in response to discontent in Poland, growth of revolutionary societies (e.g. Nihilists) and assassination attempts. Killed by bomb, 1881, before able to implement new constitution. ALEXANDER III (1845-94) Tsar of Russia, 1881-94. Autocratic ruler, applying stern political repression. Pursued policy of ‘Russification’ of non-Russian nationalities within Empire, affected Jewish population in particular. Political opposition forced underground. First Marxist group formed in St Petersburg, 1883. In foreign policy, Dreikaiserbund lapsed following Bulgarian crisis, 1885-86. Secret alliance with France concluded 1894. In last years of reign, promoted development of Far Eastern territories, e.g. authorized building of Trans-Siberian railway. ANDRÁSSY, COUNT GYULA (1823-90) Hungarian statesman. Radical nationalist and supporter of Kossuth, 1848-49, during struggle for Hungarian independence. Exiled until 1858. On return, supported moves towards Ausgleich. First prime minister of Hungary, 1867-71. Foreign minister of Austria-Hungary, 1871-79. Headed Austro-Hungarian delegation at Congress of Berlin, 1878, at which Austria-Hungary acquired control of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sought to balance threat of Russian encroachment by allying with Germany. AZAÑA, MANUEL (1881-1940) Spanish president. Founded Republican Party, 1924. Subsequently imprisoned. War minister, 1931. First prime minister of Second Republic, 1931-33, again 1936. Imprisoned for advocacy of Catalan self-rule, 1934. President, 1936-39. Fled to France, February 1939.
