author
baron (Eugène-Napoléon) Beyens
1855–1934
A seasoned Belgian diplomat at the center of Europe’s crises, he combined courtly polish with a sharp sense of international politics. His memoirs and wartime writings offer a close-up view of diplomacy in the years around the First World War.
1 Audiobook
Germany before the war
by baron (Eugène-Napoléon) Beyens
About the author
Born in Paris on March 24, 1855, and dead in Brussels on January 3, 1934, Baron Eugène-Napoléon Beyens was a Belgian diplomat and statesman. He came from a diplomatic family and entered the foreign service young, building a career that took him to major European capitals and into the highest ranks of Belgian public life.
Beyens is especially remembered for his role during the First World War. He served as Belgium's minister to Germany before the war and later became foreign minister for the Belgian government in exile, helping represent his country’s case among the Allied powers. His long experience in European diplomacy made him an important witness to the political tensions that led to war.
He also wrote about international affairs, leaving memoirs and studies that remain valuable for readers interested in diplomacy, Belgium, and the making of modern Europe. For audiobook listeners, his work opens a window onto the world of embassies, negotiations, and high-stakes decisions in a troubled age.