German
Measures 34x40
Antique gold Giltwood frame
Oil on wood board
Signed and dated
Overall great condition
1915

Johann Heinrich von Bernstorff (1862–1939) was a prominent German diplomat, best known as the German Ambassador to the United States (1908–1917). He sought to maintain friendly German-American relations and prevent U.S. entry into WWI, opposing unrestricted submarine warfare, before later serving as ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.


Key aspects of Bernstorff’s diplomacy include:
Background: Born in London to a Prussian diplomat family, he possessed a cosmopolitan background and was a count (Graf) by title.
Washington Ambassadorship (1908–1917): Bernstorff worked diligently to foster positive diplomatic and economic ties between Germany and the United States. He was known for his polite, skilled, and articulate diplomacy in Washington, even while navigating difficult wartime tensions.
WWI Mediation Efforts: During World War I, he tried to facilitate mediation between President Woodrow Wilson and the conflict, acting as a moderate voice against reckless policies.
Submarine Warfare Conflict: He repeatedly warned the German government against initiating unrestricted submarine warfare, predicting it would drive the U.S. into the war against Germany.
In 1926, he became the Chairman of Kurt Blumenfeld's Zionist German Pro-Palestine Committee (Deutsches Pro-Palästina Komitee) to support the foundation of a Jewish State in Palestine. From 1926 to 1931, he was the chairman of the German delegation to the Preparatory World Disarmament Conference.