LITVINOV, MAXIM MAXIMOVICH (1876— ), Russian politician, was born at Bielostok. When 17 he entered military service as a volunteer and while in the army became interested in Marxism. When his service was completed, he became a member of the Kiev committee of the Social Dem ocratic party. One of the members of that committee proved to be a police agent and the committee was arrested. After a year and a half in prison Litvinov with II companions escaped, went abroad and took an active part in the Iskra, the Social Democratic newspaper. Litvinov joined the Bolshevik section of the party, returned to Russia illegally in 19°3, and worked there as a mem ber of the central committee until the revolution of 1905. In that year he attended the London Congress as a delegate from the Riga Committee, and took part with Gorky in founding Novaya Zhizn (The New Life).
After the failure of the attempted revolution of 19o5 Litvinov lived abroad, and organized the sending of weapons to the revolu tionaries in the Caucasus. After the November revolution (1917) in Russia he was appointed diplomatic agent of the Soviet govern ment in England. He was subsequently arrested as a hostage for Mr. Lockhart, for whom he was exchanged. As assistant corn missar for foreign affairs he took part in the initiation of peace negotiations with EStonia, in negotiations at Copenhagen with England, in the Genoa conference and, as president of the Rus sian delegation, in the subsequent conference at The Hague. *Litvinov continued to take a leading part in disarmament confer ences, both in Moscow and Geneva. In 193o he became people's commissar for foreign affairs.