United States Ambassador to Slovakia

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For ambassadors to Czechoslovakia before the establishment of the Slovak Republic, see United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia.
Rodolphe “Skip” Vallee, former U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia
Rodolphe “Skip” Vallee, former U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia

Following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian empire in 1918 at the end of The Great War, the Czechs, Moravians, and Slovaks united to form the new nation of Czechoslovakia. The United States recognized Czechoslovakia and commissioned its first ambassador on April 23, 1919.

Germany invaded Czechoslovakia in March 1939, establishing a German “protectorate.” By this time, Slovakia had already declared independence and had become a puppet state of the Germans. German forces occupied Prague on March 15, 1939. The U.S. embassy was closed on March 21, 1939 and the ambassador left his post on April 6, 1939.

During World War II the U.S. maintained diplomatic relations with the government-in-exile of Czechoslovakia in London. Ambassador Anthony J. Biddle, Jr. established an embassy in London on September 17, 1941 and the embassy was maintained until the end of the war. Following the war the embassy in Prague was reopened on May 29, 1945.

Claiborne Pell, who would later become chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as a young Foreign Service officer, arrived in Bratislava in November 1947 to establish the U.S. Consulate in Slovakia. The Consulate was closed on May 27, 1950, on the order of the Czechoslovak government, at the height of the Cold War. On October 3, 1990, Foreign Service officer Paul Hacker arrived in Bratislava to reestablish the U.S. Consulate there. The Consulate was upgraded to the status of Consulate General on October 21, 1991. In June 1992, the Slovak parliament voted to declare sovereignty and the Czech-Slovak federation dissolved peacefully on January 1, 1993. The United States recognized the Slovak Republic as an independent state and established diplomatic relations with it on January 1, 1993. The embassy in Bratislava was established January 4, 1993, with Mr. Hacker as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim. He was replaced by Eleanor Sutter on July 7, 1993. The first ambassador, Theodore E. Russell was commissioned to Slovakia on November 22, 1993. The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with Slovakia since 1993.

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[edit] Ambassadors

Diplomatic Terms

Career FSO: After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSO) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.

Political appointee: A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president; often to reward political friends.

Appointed: The date that the ambassador took the oath of office—also called “commissioning.” This follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a congressional-recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador must be later confirmed by the Senate.

Presented Credentials: The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador’s arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador’s letter, but this occurs only rarely.

Terminated mission: Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador’s commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.

Chargé d’affaires: The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country. See chargé d’affaires.

ad interim: For the time being; in the meantime. See ad interim.

  • Theodore E. Russell – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: November 22, 1993
    • Presented credentials: December 16, 1993
    • Terminated mission: Left post March 29, 1996
  • Ralph R. Johnson – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: January 18, 1996
    • Presented credentials: April 4, 1996
    • Terminated mission: Left post May 21, 1999
  • Carl Spielvogel – Political appointee[1]
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: August 3, 2000
    • Presented credentials: September 7, 2000
    • Terminated mission: Left post April 15, 2001
  • Ronald Weiser – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: November 26, 2001
    • Presented credentials: January 5, 2002
    • Terminated mission: Left post December 19, 2004
  • Rodolphe M. “Skip” Vallee – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: June 21, 2005
    • Presented credentials: August 23, 2005
    • Terminated mission: Left post December 5, 2007
  • Vincent Obsitnik – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: November 9, 2007
    • Presented credentials: December 6, 2007
    • Terminated mission: Incumbent

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Spielvogel was commissioned during a recess of the Senate. A later nomination of September 28, 2000, was not acted upon by the Senate.

[edit] See also

[edit] Sources

[edit] External links