author
baron (Eugène-Napoléon) Beyens
1855–1934
A leading Belgian diplomat of the early 20th century, he spent decades at the center of European politics and later turned his experience into books on diplomacy and the road to war. His career gives his writing the feel of a firsthand witness account.
1 Audiobook
Germany before the war
by baron (Eugène-Napoléon) Beyens
About the author
Born in Paris on March 24, 1855, Eugène-Napoléon Beyens was a Belgian diplomat and statesman. He came from a diplomatic family and went on to become one of Belgium’s most prominent representatives abroad, serving in major European posts and later as Belgium’s minister of foreign affairs during the First World War.
He is especially remembered for his years in Berlin before 1914, when he had a close view of the political tensions that led to war. That experience shaped his later writing, including works such as Germany before the War, in which he reflected on international relations and the crisis that transformed Europe.
Beyens died in Brussels on January 3, 1934. For listeners interested in memoir, history, and diplomacy, his work stands out for combining an insider’s perspective with the wider story of Europe in a time of upheaval.