Richard von Kühlmann

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Richard von Kühlmann (May 3, 1873-February 16, 1948) was a German diplomat, industrialist and briefly, from 6 August 1917 to 9 July 1918, State Secretary of the Foreign Office of the German Empire.

Kühlmann was born in Constantinople. Appointed foreign secretary in August 1917, he led the delegation that negotiated the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which removed the Russian Empire from World War I. In July 1918, army leaders forced his removal from office for publicly declaring that the war could not be ended by military action alone and without recourse to diplomacy.