Andrei Gromyko

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Andrei Gromyko

Role / Field:

Soviet diplomat who served as Foreign Minister during the height of the Cold War.

Born:

1909-07-05

Died:

1989-07-02

Century / Era:

1909s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Andrei Andreyevich Gromyko (18 July [O.S. 5 July] 1909 – 2 July 1989) was a Soviet politician and diplomat during the Cold War. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (1957–1985) and as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (1985–1988). Gromyko was responsible for many top decisions on Soviet foreign policy until he retired in 1988. In the 1940s, Western pundits called him Mr. Nyet ("Mr. No"), or Grim Grom, because of his frequent use of the Soviet veto in the United Nations Security Council. Gromyko's political career started in 1939 in the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs (renamed Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1946).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He became the Soviet ambassador to the United States in 1943, leaving that position in 1946 to become the Soviet Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. Upon his return to Moscow he became a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and later First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and eventually Foreign Minister. He went on to become the Soviet ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1952. As Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union, Gromyko was directly involved in deliberations with the Americans during the Cuban Missile Crisis and helped broker a peace treaty ending the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War. Under the leadership of Leonid Brezhnev, he played a central role in the establishment of détente with the United States by negotiating the ABM Treaty, the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and the SALT I & II, among others.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

As Brezhnev's health deteriorated from the mid-1970s onward, Gromyko began to increasingly dictate Soviet policy alongside Defense Minister Dmitry Ustinov and KGB Chairman Yuri Andropov. Even after Brezhnev's death in 1982, Gromyko's rigid conservatism and distrust of the West continued to underlie the Soviet Union's foreign policy until Mikhail Gorbachev's rise to power in 1985. Upon Konstantin Chernenko's selection as General Secretary on 13 February 1984, Andrei Gromyko formed an unofficial triumvirate along with Ustinov and Chernenko that governed the Soviet Union through the end of the year. However, following Gorbachev's election as General Secretary in March 1985, Gromyko was removed from office as foreign minister and appointed to the largely ceremonial post of Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He ultimately retired from political life in 1988, and died the following year in Moscow.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1909 (1909-07-05): Birth of Andrei Gromyko — Soviet diplomat who served as Foreign Minister during the height of the Cold War.
2. 1939: 1939 Milestone — Gromyko's political career started in 1939 in the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs (renamed Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1946).
3. 1943: 1943 Milestone — He became the Soviet ambassador to the United States in 1943, leaving that position in 1946 to become the Soviet Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.
4. 1952: 1952 Milestone — He went on to become the Soviet ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1952.
5. 1957: 1957 Milestone — He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (1957–1985) and as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (1985–1988).
6. 1965: 1965 Milestone — As Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union, Gromyko was directly involved in deliberations with the Americans during the Cuban Missile Crisis and helped broker a peace treaty ending the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War.
7. 1982: 1982 Milestone — Even after Brezhnev's death in 1982, Gromyko's rigid conservatism and distrust of the West continued to underlie the Soviet Union's foreign policy until Mikhail Gorbachev's rise to power in 1985.
8. 1984: 1984 Milestone — Upon Konstantin Chernenko's selection as General Secretary on 13 February 1984, Andrei Gromyko formed an unofficial triumvirate along with Ustinov and Chernenko that governed the Soviet Union through the end of the year.
9. 1985: 1985 Milestone — However, following Gorbachev's election as General Secretary in March 1985, Gromyko was removed from office as foreign minister and appointed to the largely ceremonial post of Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
10. 1988: 1988 Milestone — Gromyko was responsible for many top decisions on Soviet foreign policy until he retired in 1988.
11. 1989 (1989-07-02): Passing & Historical Legacy — Andrei Gromyko passed away on 1989-07-02, leaving an enduring historical legacy.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Andrei Gromyko

True or False: “Andrei Gromyko was known by Western pundits as 'Mr. Nyet' due to his frequent use of the Soviet veto in the UN Security Council.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): This nickname reflected his consistent opposition to many Western initiatives and policies during the Cold War era.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Andrei Gromyko