Charoonsakdi Kritakara
Charoonsakdi Kritakara | |
|---|---|
| พระองค์เจ้าจรูญศักดิ์กฤดากร | |
 | |
| Head Delegate to the League of Nations | |
| In office January 10, 1920 – October 5, 1928 | |
| Monarchs | |
| Delegation | Kingdom of Siam |
| Succeeded by | Prince Wan Waithayakorn |
| Ambassador Plenipotentiary | |
| In office June 28, 1912 – October 5, 1928 | |
| Monarchs | |
| Embassy | Paris |
| Kingdom of Siam Minister of Justice | |
| In office January 27, 1910 – 1912 | |
| Monarchs | |
| Preceded by | Raphi Phatthanasak |
| Succeeded by | Chao Phraya Abhairaja Maha Yuttithammathorn (Lop Suthat) |
| Kingdom of Siam Deputy Minister of Justice | |
| In office July 14, 1909 – January 27, 1910 | |
| Monarch | Chulalongkorn |
| Ambassador and Chargé d'affaires | |
| In office September 7, 1906 – July 12, 1909 | |
| Monarch | Chulalongkorn |
| Embassies | Paris, Rome, Madrid, Lisbon |
| Governor of Songkhla | |
| In office ?–? | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 2, 1875 Phra Nakhon Province, Siam |
| Died | October 5, 1928 (aged 53) Geneva, Switzerland |
| Parent | Father: Nares Varariddhi |
| Education | Harrow School |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge |
| Awards | |
| Known as |
|
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Wild Tiger Corps |
| Rank | Sergeant Major |
Prince Charoonsakdi Kritakara, (several Romanized spellings exist), more commonly known in English as Prince Charoon, was the Kingdom of Siam delegate to the League of Nations, being present at its inception in 1920 for a duration of eight years until his death in 1928. Prior to the creation of the League, Prince Charoon was also a delegate to the Paris Peace Conference following World War I.[1][2] This was as a result of the fact that Siam had contributed an expeditionary force to the European continent to fight in the war for the Allies.[3][4] Charoon, incidentally, alongside Prince Chakrabongs, was primarily responsible for Siam's contribution to the war: the two convinced the King to contribute forces, and to "make a show of it."[5][6] In an interview with The Christian Science Journal in 1917, Charoon said: "By joining the Allies, Siam is adding very little, but still it is adding a little, to the allied forces."[7] Charoon was a signatory to the Treaty of Versailles. As the grandson of Mongkut (who had 39 sons), he was born a Prince, but the title of His Royal Highness wasn't bestowed upon him until 1912, over a decade after his entry into public service.[8] Charoon was a graduate of the University of Cambridge, much to the dismay of his uncle, Svatsi, who had been the first Thai to ever attend the University of Oxford.[9] Charoon has been called one of the "Makers of the modern world."[9] Charoon was also a delegate to the Opium Advisory Committee, being present at its very first meeting, and contributing to the global effort against opium consumption.[10] In 1906, Charoon was also an attendee at the First Geneva Convention, while serving as the Kingdom's Chargé d'affaires in Paris.[11] In 1925, Charoon signed a peace treaty with the French.[12] Charoon's signature can be found on many other League of Nations documents, as he took leadership roles in many committees during his time there. Charoon is also indirectly responsible for the creation of Chakri Day.[5] At age 53, Prince Charoon died on the job of heart disease in Geneva.[13]
Further reading
- A Very Small Part of World Affairs, by Peter B. Oblas
- Treaty Revision and the Role of the American Foreign Affairs Adviser 1909-1925, by Peter B. Oblas
References
- ^ "A seat at the table". Bangkok Post. Bangkok Post Public Company. 2020-01-08. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
- ^ "DIRECTORIES OF THE PEACE CONFERENCE". search.library.wisc.edu. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
- ^ "Siam on the world stage". Bangkok Post. Bangkok Post Public Company. 2019-06-26. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
- ^ "Siam / 1.0 / handbook". 1914-1918-Online (WW1) Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
- ^ a b "Chaiyo!: King Vajiravudh and the Development of Thai Nationalism". muse. University of Hawai'i Press.
- ^ Hell, Stefan (2017-09-27). Siam and World War 1: An International History. River Books. ISBN 978-616-7339-92-4.
- ^ Special to The Christian,Science Monitor. 1917. WHY SIAM ENTERED WAR. The Christian Science Monitor (1908-), Aug 29. https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/why-siam-entered-war/docview/509914706/se-2
- ^ ราชกิจจานุเบกษา, https://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2455/D/1250.PDF เล่ม ๒๙, ตอน ง, ๘ กันยายน พ.ศ. ๒๔๕๕, หน้า ๑๒๕๐
- ^ a b Dalby, Andrew (2010). Prince Charoon et al: South East Asia. Haus Publishing. ISBN 978-1-905791-85-9.
- ^ "Historical Documents - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Archived from the original on 2025-03-06. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
- ^ "PAPERS RELATING TO THE FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES, WITH THE ANNUAL MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT TRANSMITTED TO CONGRESS DECEMBER 3, 1907, (IN TWO PARTS), PART II". history.state.gov. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
- ^ "FRANCE: The Franc". Time. 1925-02-23. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
- ^ "News of Death" (PDF). Royal Gazette. Volume 45, Section ง (in Thai). November 25, 1928. p. 2639.