A career diplomat who worked the front lines of détente
On March 4, 1974, he presented his credentials as the U.S. ambassador to Moscow.
Walter Stoessel was a career American diplomat whose work centered on the Soviet Union and Europe during the Cold War. As ambassador in Moscow from 1974 to 1976, he represented Washington on the ground during détente and the negotiations surrounding the Helsinki process. He later served as ambassador to West Germany and Deputy Secretary of State.
Activities and affiliations
Career Timeline
- 1942–1944Served in the U.S. Army
- 1947–1953Worked on Eastern European and Soviet affairs at the State Department
- 1963–1965Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy in Moscow
- 1968–1972U.S. Ambassador to Poland
- 1972–1974Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
- 1974–1976U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union
- 1976–1981U.S. Ambassador to West Germany
- 1982–1983United States Deputy Secretary of State
Related historical events
The Warsaw Signal: Reopening Contact with China
During his tenure as U.S. ambassador to Poland (1968–1972), Stoessel provided the first thread in reopening direct American–Chinese contact after more than two decades of estrangement. On September 9, 1969, at the White House, President Nixon and National Security Adviser Kissinger instructed him to approach the Chinese chargé d'affaires at a reception hosted by a neutral embassy and convey that the United States was seriously interested in concrete discussions with China. In the midst of the Cultural Revolution, however, Chinese diplomats shunned contact with Americans, and through October and November Stoessel found few occasions when both delegations were present. In early December, at a diplomatic reception given by the Yugoslav government, he managed to approach the chargé's interpreter and pass the message that Nixon wished to open serious, concrete talks. On December 10 the Chinese embassy telephoned to suggest a meeting the next day, and on December 11 Stoessel met Chargé Lei Yang at his residence to explore whether an improvement in bilateral relations might be possible. The contact led to the resumption of the Warsaw talks on January 20 and February 20, 1970; at the February meeting China invited the United States to send an envoy to Beijing. The channel Stoessel reopened directly opened the door to Kissinger's secret 1971 trip and Nixon's 1972 visit to China.