ISVOLSKY, Alexander Petro vitch, Russian statesman: b. Moscow, 18 March 1856. At the age of 22 he was sent on a mission to Pope Leo XIII, from which later resulted the establishment of a Russian legation at the Vatican. After passing through a suc cession of minor offices he was appointed Am bassador to Japan in, 1900 and to Denmark in 1902. In Tokio he exerted himself to heal the grievance still rankling in Japan against Russia over the treaty of Shimonoseki. During Count Witte's tour of inspection over the Manchurian Railway in 1901, Isvolsky endeavored to induce him to make the short journey from Dalny and visit Japan. This Witte refused to do, not withstanding that the Japanese government decided — in the event of such visit — to receive the Russian Finance Minister with the honors' accorded to royal personages. Within less than three years Russia and Japan were at war. In
May 1906 Isvolsky succeeded Count LamsdorfE as Foreign Minister. The Austrian annexation' of Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1908 aroused his strongest protests against the proceedings of Count Aehrenthal (q.v.); • in the diplomatic crisis that followed, the intervention of Ger many in 1909 forced Isvolsky to withdraw from position and accept tbtannexation as•a fait accompli. His prestige had suffered a defeat; he retired from the Foreign Office in September 1910 and in the following month succeeded M. Nelidoff as Ambassador to France. He re signed in June 1917 and settled in Biarritz. A brilliant scholar and linguist, he is described as a man of impetuous character with a fond ness for unraveling complicated situations. To his credit must be placed the Anglo-Russian Agreement of 1907 and the Russo-Japanese Agreement of 1910.