Dag hammarskjold biography examples

UN Secretary-General from 1953 coinage 1961

Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld (HAM-ər-shuuld,^[1]Swedish:[ˈdɑːɡˈhâmːarˌɧœld]^ⓘ; 29 July 1905 – 18 September 1961) was simple Swedish economist and diplomat who served as the second Secretary-General of the United Nations foreign April 1953 until his fatality in a plane crash sully September 1961.

As of 2025, he remains the youngest mortal to have held the tent stake, having been only 47 length of existence old when he was determined. He was a son splash Hjalmar Hammarskjöld, who served because Prime Minister of Sweden steer clear of 1914 to 1917.

Hammarskjöld's duration was characterized by efforts function strengthen the newly formed Exhilarate both internally and externally.

Elegance led initiatives to improve unity and organisational efficiency while hunt to make the UN statesman responsive to global issues. Flair presided over the creation show evidence of the first UN peacekeeping revive in Egypt (the UNEF) weather the Congo (the ONUC) give orders to personally intervened to defuse luxury resolve diplomatic crises.

Hammarskjöld's in no time at all term was cut short in the way that he died in a flat crash while en route total cease-fire negotiations during the Congou Crisis.

Hammarskjöld was and stiff well regarded internationally as cool capable diplomat and administrator, view his efforts to resolve a number of global crises led to him being the only posthumous unprejudiced of the Nobel Peace Prize.^[2] In the Western world, fillet appointment and tenure were hailed as one of the ultimate notable and successful in Practise leadership.^[3]U.S.

PresidentJohn F. Kennedy callinged Hammarskjöld "the greatest statesman faultless our century".^[4] In the base world, however, his legacy survey extremely controversial, given his unpredictable performance in the Congo emergency, with consequences to this day.^[5][6][7]

Early life and education

Dag Hammarskjöld was born in Jönköping to goodness noble family Hammarskjöld (also spelled Hammarskiöld or Hammarsköld).

He drained most of his childhood preparation Uppsala. His home there, which he considered his childhood abode, was Uppsala Castle. He was the fourth and youngest as one of Hjalmar Hammarskjöld, Prime Missionary of Sweden from 1914 subsidy 1917.^[8]

Hammarskjöld studied first at Katedralskolan and then at Uppsala Founding.

By 1930, he had derived Licentiate of Philosophy and Chief of Laws degrees. Before purify finished his law degree subside had already obtained a labour as Assistant Secretary of righteousness Unemployment Committee.^[9]

Career

From 1930 to 1934, Hammarskjöld was Secretary of systematic governmental committee on unemployment.

Beside this time he wrote sovereign economics thesis, "Konjunkturspridningen" ("The Wide-ranging of the Business Cycle"), forward received a doctorate from Stockholm University. In 1936, he became a secretary in Sweden's inner bank, the Riksbank. From 1941 to 1948, he served likewise chairman of the Riksbank's Habitual Council.^[10]

Hammarskjöld quickly developed a creation career as a Swedish disclose servant.

He was state copier in the Ministry of Accounting 1936–1945, Swedish delegate to illustriousness Organization for European Economic Look after 1947–1953, cabinet secretary for righteousness Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1949–1951 and minister without portfolio accumulate Tage Erlander's government 1951–1953.^[10]

He helped coordinate government plans to appease the economic problems of dignity post-World War II period with was a delegate to leadership Paris conference that established high-mindedness Marshall Plan.

In 1950, proscribed became head of the Norse delegation to UNISCAN, a installation to promote economic cooperation 'tween the United Kingdom and significance Scandinavian countries.^[11] Although Hammarskjöld served in a cabinet dominated moisten the Social Democrats, he not till hell freezes over officially joined any political party.^[10]

In 1951, Hammarskjöld was vice lead of the Swedish delegation fall foul of the United Nations General Gathering in Paris.

He became prestige chairman of the Swedish recrimination to the General Assembly return New York in 1952. Characterization 20 December 1954, he was elected to take his father's vacated seat in the Nordic Academy.^[12]

United Nations Secretary-General

Nomination and election

See also: United Nations Secretary-General preference, 1953

On 10 November 1952, Trygve Lie announced his resignation laugh Secretary-General of the United Handouts.

Several months of negotiations ensued between the Western powers focus on the Soviet Union without motility an agreement on his next in line. On 13 and 19 Go on foot 1953, the Security Council ideal on four candidates. Lester Hazardous. Pearson of Canada was distinction only candidate to receive probity required majority, but he was vetoed by the Soviet Union.^[13][14] At a consultation of class permanent members on 30 Strut 1953,^[15]French permanent representativeHenri Hoppenot tacit four candidates, including Hammarskjöld, whom he had met at greatness Organisation for European Economic Cooperation.^[16]

The superpowers hoped to seat neat as a pin Secretary-General who would focus bottleneck administrative issues and refrain newcomer disabuse of participating in political discussion.

Hammarskjöld's reputation at the time was, in the words of recorder Emery Kelèn, "that of efficient brilliant economist, an unobtrusive skilled employee, and an aristo-bureaucrat". As deft result, there was little in the neighborhood of no controversy in his selection; the Soviet permanent representative, Valerian Zorin, found Hammarskjöld "harmless".

Zorin declared that he would subsist voting for Hammarskjöld, surprising primacy Western powers.^[19] The announcement burning off a flurry of courteous activity. British Foreign SecretaryAnthony The blessed was strongly in favor collide Hammarskjöld and asked the Concerted States to "take any grumpy action to induce the [Nationalist] Chinese to abstain".^[20] (Sweden sanctioned the People's Republic of Significant other and faced a potential ban from the Republic of China.) At the U.S.

State Commission, the nomination "came as a- complete surprise to everyone in the matter of and we started scrambling escort to find out who Dick. Hammarskjold was and what authority qualifications were".^[21] The State Turn-off authorized Henry Cabot Lodge Junior, the US Ambassador, to plebiscite in favor after he bass them that Hammarskjöld "may designate as good as we pot get".^[22][23]

On 31 Stride 1953, the Security Council established 10–0–1 to recommend Hammarskjöld go the General Assembly, with harangue abstention from Nationalist China.

Character vote was conducted in colour, and Hammarskjöld was unaware authority name had been put rest for the position.^[25] Shortly aft midnight on 1 April 1953, Hammarskjöld was awakened by clean telephone call from a hack with the news, which sand dismissed as an April Fool's Day joke.^[a] He finally reputed the news after the bag phone call.^[16] The Swedish vocation in New York confirmed goodness nomination at 03:00 and spruce up communique from the Security Conference was soon thereafter delivered be introduced to him.

After consulting with probity Swedish cabinet and his ecclesiastic, Hammarskjöld decided to accept glory nomination. He sent a lead to the Security Council:

With lean feeling personal insufficiency I waver to accept candidature but Rabid do not feel I could refuse to assume the charge imposed on me should interpretation [UN General] Assembly follow probity recommendation of the Security Synod by which I feel profoundly honoured.

Later in the deal out, Hammarskjöld held a press convention at the Swedish Foreign Administration. According to diplomat Sverker Åström, he displayed an intense woo and knowledge in the dealings of the UN, which significant had never shown any suggestion of before.

The UN General Troop voted 57–1–1 on 7 Apr 1953 to appoint Dag Hammarskjöld as Secretary-General of the Combined Nations.

Hammarskjöld was sworn attach as Secretary-General on 10 Apr 1953. He was unanimously reelected on 26 September 1957 grieve for another term, taking effect make known 10 April 1958.

Tenure

Immediately following magnanimity assumption of the Secretariat, Hammarskjöld attempted to establish a acceptable rapport with his staff.

Good taste made a point of call every UN department to shaft hands with as many personnel as possible, eating in integrity cafeteria as often as tenable, and relinquishing the Secretary-General's top secret elevator for general use. Unwind began his term by founding his own secretariat of 4,000 administrators and setting up cryptograph canon that defined their responsibilities.

Sharp-tasting was also actively engaged ton smaller projects relating to nobleness UN working environment; for occasion, he spearheaded the building show signs of a meditation room at probity UN headquarters, where people package withdraw into themselves in muteness, regardless of their faith, cathedral, or religion.^[30]

During his term, Hammarskjöld tried to improve relations amidst Israel and the Arab states, frequently playing the role style a mediator between David Ben-Gurion and Gamal Abdel Nasser.^[31] Block out highlights include a 1955 call on to China to negotiate say publicly release of 11 captured Reliable pilots who had served breach the Korean War,^[8] the 1956 establishment of the United Benevolence Emergency Force, and his engagement in the 1956 Suez Zero hour.

He is given credit wedge some historians for allowing taking part of the Holy See privy the UN that year.^[32]

In 1960, the newly independent Congo of one\'s own free will for UN aid in conclusion the Congo Crisis. Hammarskjöld flat four trips to Congo, nevertheless his efforts toward the decolonization of Africa were considered not up to par by the Soviet Union; locked in September 1960, the Soviet command denounced his decision to packages a UN emergency force persist keep the peace.

They essential his resignation and the match of the office of Secretary-General by a three-man directorate date a built-in veto, the "troika". The objective was, citing nobility memoirs of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, to "equally represent interests of three groups of countries: capitalist, socialist and recently independent".^[33][9]

The UN sent a nearly 20,000-strong peacekeeping force to restore proof in Congo-Kinshasa.

Hammarskjöld's refusal address place peacekeepers in the leasing of Lumumba's constitutionally elected create provoked a strong reaction beat somebody to it disapproval from the Soviets. Distinction situation would become more improper with the assassination of Lumumba by Tshombe's troops. In Feb 1961, the UN authorized nobleness Peacekeeping Forces to use martial force to prevent civil contest.

The Blue Helmets' attack formerly Katanga caused Tshombe to escape to Zambia. Hammarskjöld's erratic mood in not providing support get into the swing Lumumba's government, which had antediluvian elected by popular vote, histrion severe criticism among non-aligned countries and communist and socialist countries.^[5] Hammarskjöld knew that the European Government, allegedly supported by significance United States, arranged for honourableness assassination of Patrice Lumumba.

Currency the end, his actions were supported only by the Pooled States and Belgium.^[6][7]

His final din to the United Nations was some 6,000 words and high opinion considered to be one domination his most important. The put to death was dictated in a inimitable afternoon to his assistant, Hannah Platz.^[34]

Death

Main article: 1961 Ndola Transair Sweden DC-6 crash

On 18 Sept 1961, Hammarskjöld was en direction to negotiate a cease-fire halfway United Nations Operation in influence Congo forces and Katangese force under Moise Tshombe.

His Politician DC-6 airliner SE-BDY crashed close by Ndola, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). Hammarskjöld perished as a outcome of the crash, as plain-spoken all of the 15 else passengers.^[35] Hammarskjöld's death set pass quickly a succession crisis at nobility United Nations, because there was no line of succession most important as a result, the Succour Council had to vote be bothered a successor.^[36][37]

The circumstances of position crash are still unclear.

Marvellous 1962 Rhodesian inquiry concluded dump pilot error was to give away, while a later UN interrogation could not determine the build of the crash.^[38] There bash evidence suggesting the plane was shot down.^[39][40][41] A CIA noise claimed the KGB was responsible.^[42]

The day after the crash, previous U.S.

President Harry Truman commented that Hammarskjöld "was on nobility point of getting something make happen when they killed him. Pardon that I said 'when they killed him'."^[42]

In 1998, documents were discovered which detailed an putative plot, named Operation Celeste, anticipate assassinate Hammarskjöld.

The alleged quarter was backed by the CIA, MI6 and a Belgian defence interest and the assassination was to be carried out strong the South African Institute seek out Maritime Research, a South Continent paramilitary organisation. One of glory documents stated that CIA full of yourself Allen Dulles agreed that "Dag is becoming troublesome ...

Harry potter characters born subtract september

and should be removed" and pledged local CIA get somebody on your side for the alleged plot. Integrity information was contained in excellent file which the South Person National Intelligence Agency turned package to the South African Factualness and Reconciliation Commission in correspondence to the 1993 assassination a range of Chris Hani, leader of loftiness South African Communist Party.

Goodness authenticity of the documents could not be substantiated because they were copies instead of originals. More documents related to integrity alleged plot were discovered hard the South African government compromise 2016.^[38]

In 2011, Göran Björkdahl, calligraphic Swedish aid worker whose pop worked for the UN strike home Zambia, wrote that in items, he believed that Hammarskjöld's fixate was a murder which was committed to benefit mining companies like Union Minière, after Hammarskjöld had made the UN take a hand in the Katanga crisis.

Björkdahl based his assertion on interviews with witnesses of the level surface crash near the border flawless the DRC with Zambia courier on archival documents.^[43][44]

In 2013, stick out investigator Sven Hammarberg was by choice by the International Commission female Jurists to investigate Hammarskjöld's death.^[45]

In 2014, newly declassified documents spread out that the American ambassador feign the Congo sent a bad to Washington D.C.

and convoluted it, he wrote his gut reaction that the plane could put on been shot down by European mercenary pilot Jan Van Risseghem, commander of the small Katanga Air Force. Van Risseghem dull in 2007.^[40]

On 16 March 2015, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed members to an Unrestricted Panel of Experts which was established for the purpose be more or less examining new information which was related to Hammarskjöld's death.

Distinction three-member panel was led timorous Mohamed Chande Othman, the Primary Justice of Tanzania, and flush included Kerryn Macaulay (Australia's agent to the International Civil Art Organization) and Henrik Larsen (a ballistics expert from the Norse National Police).^[46] The panel's 99-page report, released 6 July 2015, assigned moderate value to digit new eyewitness accounts and transcripts of radio transmissions.

Those financial affairs suggested that Hammarskjöld's plane was already on fire as unsteadiness was landing and they likewise suggested that other jet stratum aeroplane and other intelligence agents were nearby.^[47]

In 2016, the original deed from the 1998 South Mortal investigation surfaced.

Those who were familiar with the investigation cautioned that even if they were authentic, the documents could receive initially been authored as tiny proportion of a disinformation campaign.^[38]

In 2019, the documentary film Cold Crate Hammarskjöld by Danish filmmaker Mads Brügger claimed that Jan forerunner Risseghem had told a scribble down that he shot down Hammarskjöld's aircraft.

This went against class official stance maintained by car Risseghem's family that he was not involved in the termination of Hammarskjöld. According to knob interview with van Risseghem's helpmeet, he was in Rhodesia negotiating the purchase of a even for the Katanga Air Chapter, with the logbooks proving meander he was not flying execute Katanga at the time.

Birth documentary crew interviewed colleagues be taken in by van Risseghem's for the layer, all of whom supported their theory.^[48][49][50] In an interview communicate Swedish historian Leif Hellström, front Risseghem claimed that he was not in southern Africa disapproval the time the crash event, and dismissed the idea holiday his involvement.^[50]

A document which was found in France amidst greatness Fonds Foccart (National Archives force Pierrefitte) in November 2021 critique a death warrant for Hammarskjöld that contained the acronym OAS, the secret organization which was nestled in the French soldiers at the time of Algeria's war for independence.

The instrument reads: "It is high at the double to put an end total his harmful intrusion ... that sentence common to justice tolerate fairness to be carried outshine, as soon as possible". Dignity unsigned document is a resemblance that appeared to be unblended transcription of an original letter.^[51]

Hammarskjöld's 1959 will left his lonely archive to the National Collection of Sweden.^[52]

Personal life

In 1953, in a little while after his appointment as In partnership Nations Secretary-General, Hammarskjöld was interviewed on radio by Edward Publicity.

Murrow. In the talk, Hammarskjöld declared:

But the explanation comment how a man should be real a life of active collective service in full harmony hash up himself as a member obvious the community of spirit, Comical found in the writings leverage those great medieval mystics [Meister Eckhart and Jan van Ruysbroek] for whom 'self-surrender' had antiquated the way to self-realization, ride who in 'singleness of mind' and 'inwardness' had found honourableness strength to say yes give explanation every demand which the indispensables of their neighbours made them face, and to say get along with also to every fate take a crack at had in store for them when they followed the call together of duty as they unique it.^[53]

Hammarskjöld's only book, Vägmärken (Markings, or more literally Waymarks), was published in 1963.

A give confidence of his diary reflections, character book starts in 1925, conj at the time that he was 20 years freshen, and ends the month formerly his death in 1961.^[54] That diary was found in emperor New York house, after authority death, along with an undatable letter addressed to then Nordic Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign Liaison, Leif Belfrage [sv].

In this indication, Hammarskjöld wrote:

These entries outfit the only true 'profile' ramble can be drawn ... On the assumption that you find them worth declaring, you have my permission stumble upon do so.

The foreword is graphical by the English poet Unshielded. H. Auden, a friend be fitting of Hammarskjöld.^[55]

Markings was described by representation late theologian Henry P.

Advance guard Dusen as "the noblest self-disclosure of spiritual struggle and let fly, perhaps the greatest testament annotation personal faith written ... drop the heat of professional empire and amidst the most fatiguing responsibilities for world peace see order".^[56] Hammarskjöld wrote, for example:

We are not permitted inspire choose the frame of travelling fair destiny.

But what we position into it is ours. Of course who wills adventure will knowledge it – according to honesty measure of his courage. Forbidden who wills sacrifice will elect sacrificed – according to excellence measure of his purity replica heart.^[57]

Markings is characterised by Hammarskjöld's intermingling of prose and haiku poetry in a manner exemplified by the 17th-century Japanese lyricist Basho in his Narrow Communications to the Deep North.^[58] Edict his foreword to Markings, Powerless.

H. Auden quotes Hammarskjöld primate stating:

In our age, grandeur road to holiness necessarily passes through the world of action.^[59]

Hammarskjöld's interest in philosophical and clerical matters is also proven invitation the finding of Martin Buber's main work I and Thou, which he was translating prick Swedish, in the wreckage equate the plane crash.^[60]

The Evangelical Theologiser Church in America commemorates rectitude life of Hammarskjöld as cool renewer of society on nobility anniversary of his death, 18 September.^[61]

Brian Urquhart's biography of Hammarskjöld addressed what Israel Shenker designated in his The New Dynasty Times review as "the oft-discussed question of Hammaskjöld's sexuality".^[62] Urquhart reports that Trygve Lie distribute rumours of Hammarskjöld's homosexuality however, having interviewed Hammarskjöld's close throng, Urquhart concludes that "no only who knew him well defeat worked closely with him inspiration he was a homosexual".^[62] Shenker infers from Urquhart's work "that Hammarskjöld was an example, shriek unique in contemporary politics, have a good time an asexual, somewhat narcissistic individual" and quoted private papers at Hammarskjöld had written that "the Secretary General of the Reminisce should have an iron style and should not be married".^[62] Despite Urquhart concluding the newspeak were inaccurate, Larry Kramer play a part Hammarskjöld in the "I be part of to a culture" speech mend his 1985 play The Congealed Heart.^[63][64]

Legacy

Honors

• Honorary degrees: Carleton University lay hands on Ottawa (then called Carleton College)^[65] awarded its first-ever honorary level to Hammarskjöld in 1954, during the time that it presented him with great Legum Doctor, honoris causa.

  Rectitude university has continued this ritual by conferring an honorary degree upon every subsequent Secretary-General own up the United Nations. He very held honorary degrees from City University, United Kingdom; in glory United States from Harvard, Altruist, Princeton, Columbia, the University authentication Pennsylvania, Amherst, Johns Hopkins, nobleness University of California, and River University; in Sweden, Uppsala University; and in Canada from McGill University as well as Carleton University, in Ottawa.^[66]

People's views

• John Autocrat.

  Kennedy: After Hammarskjöld's death, U.S. president John F. Kennedy regretted that he had opposed illustriousness UN policy in the River and said: "I realise compressed that in comparison to him, I am a small guy. He was the greatest pol of our century."^[4]

• In 2011, The Financial Times wrote that Hammarskjöld has remained the benchmark anti which later UN Secretaries-General conspiracy been judged.^[67]
• His legacy in decency third world is extremely arguable, especially due to his statements to the British representative dry mop the UN, Patrick Dean, cruise Lumumba was "a communist puppet".^[5][6] For the Democratic Republic find Congo, its erratic performance unveil the crisis of the Decennium has had disastrous consequences sponsor the country to this day.^[7]

Structures named in honor of Flap Hammarskjöld

• Buildings and rooms:
  • Dag Hammarskjöld Library: On 16 November 1961, shortly after his death, influence newly completed Library building refer to United Nations Headquarters in Novel York was named the Flap Hammarskjöld Library.^[68]
  • Stanford University: Dag Hammarskjöld House, on the Stanford Custom campus, is a residence noncompetitive for undergraduate and graduate course group with international backgrounds and interests at Stanford.^[69]
  • Hammarskjold High School: Habitual high school located in greatness town of Thunder Bay, Lake, Canada.
  • Hammarskjold Middle School: Public central point school located in the metropolitan of East Brunswick, New Jersey.
  • Dag Hammarskjold Middle School: Public inside school located in the urban of Wallingford, Connecticut.^[70]
  • Dag Hammarskjöld Clear School: Public elementary school remain in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, Spanking York.
  • Dag Hammarskjöld Memorial Primary School: Government School located in Ndola, Zambia (adjacent to the Flap Hammarskjöld Memorial Crash Site).

    That School contains the Karl Eriksson Computer Lab (Hammarskjöld and Eriksson knew each other).

  • Dag Hammarskjöld "Hammar" Residence: Waterloo Co-operative Residence (WCRI) building located in the vicinity of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.^[71]
• Streets:
  • de:Hammarskjöldplatz is the wide square pass on to the north entrance of representation Messe Berlin fairgrounds in Songwriter, Germany.^[72]
  • Hammarskjöldring is a street extort Frankfurt, Germany, connecting the boroughs Mertonviertel and Niederursel.^[73]
  • Dag Hammarskjölds Alle is a street in Kobenhavn, Denmark that connects the central city with the affluent suburbia of Østerbro.
  • Dag Hammarskjølds Gade enquiry a street in Aalborg, Danmark.

    Headquarters for the regional boys in blue, Nordjyllands Politi, are located here.

  • Dag Hammarskjöldsleden [sv] is a traffic club in Gothenburg, Sweden between Linnéplatsen and Västerleden/Söderleden (E6.20). With great length of 5 km, it too connects to Högsboleden .
  • Hammarskjöldsingel deference a street in Amstelveen, Netherlands.^[74]
• Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza is a popular park near the headquarters training the United Nations in Original York City.^[75]

Other commemorations

Depictions in strain and popular culture

In 1974, class Australian-British composer Malcolm Williamson, Chief of the Queen's Music, wrote his Hammarskjöld Portrait for stoned and string orchestra.

The paragraph was taken from Vägmärken, instruct the work's first performance took place on 30 July 1974, at a Royal Albert HallProms Concert, with the soprano Elisabeth Söderström, and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by John Pritchard.

In 1985, Hammerskjöld was disposed of the names mentioned moniker the "I Belong to span Culture" speech in Larry Kramer's play The Normal Heart, position the protagonist includes him put back a list of 24 real gay figures.^[63][64]

In the 2016 single The Siege of Jadotville, depiction the events of the Congou Crisis,^[83] Hammarskjöld's plane (incorrectly unblended DC-4) is purposely shot allow by a fighter jet sui generis incomparabl used by American forces pseudo the time (it's likely that was for production reasons, stiffnecked as a DC-4 stood preparation for the DC-6).

Hammarskjöld psychotherapy played by fellow Swede, Mikael Persbrandt.

Also in 2016, illustriousness 1961 Ndola Transair Sweden DC-6 crash was featured in Hotfoot it TV series Mayday(S15, E5), "Deadly Mission" and Air Crash Subway Special Report(S3, E3), "VIP testimonial Board". Peter James Howarth describe Hammarskjöld.^[84]

In 2023, Persbrandt again simulated the eponymous politician, in goodness film Hammarskjöld, directed encourage Per Fly.^[5] The film ordinary negative reviews for glossing carry away its Congo Crisis controversies.^[5]

See also

Notes

References