Trygve Lie

For more information on Trygve Lie, visit Britannica.com.

The Norwegian statesman Trygve Halvdan Lie (1896-1968), first secretary general of the United Nations, developed a political role for this new office that his successors maintained.

Trygve Lie was born in Oslo, Norway, on July 16, 1896. The son of a carpenter, he worked his way through school as an office boy with the Labor party. He was elected president of a branch of the Labor party at the age of 16. On graduation from the Oslo University faculty of law in 1919, he joined the secretariat of the Labor party.

At the age of 25 Lie was appointed one of three of the Labor party's national executive secretaries. A year later he became legal adviser to the Trade Union Federation. When the Labor government came to power in 1935, Lie, then elected to Parliament, was appointed minister of justice. In 1939 he became minister of commerce and, with the outbreak of World War II, minister of shipping and supply.

After the German invasion of Norway, Lie, as a member of the government, escaped with the King and other ministers to England. Lie was named acting foreign minister of the government in exile and became foreign minister in 1941. He played a principal part in ensuring that Norwegian ships and sailors continued their vital service to the Allied forces.

Lie led the Norwegian delegation to the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco in April 1945. He served as chairman of the Conference commission that dealt with the draft articles of the UN Charter on the Security Council. That winter the first General Assembly of the UN convened in London; Lie was narrowly defeated in a contest for Assembly president.

First Secretary General

Lie was both the United States' and the Soviet Union's second choice for secretary general. On the United States' proposal, cordially supported by the U.S.S.R., Lie was agreed upon by the Security Council and was elected secretary general by the General Assembly on Feb. 1, 1946, for a 5-year term.

Now thrust to the center of the world diplomatic stage, Lie was a burly, slow-speaking, quick-tempered man and a shrewd politician, not lacking in international ideals. Though his education and his style were unsophisticated, he brought valuable administrative and labor-negotiating experience to his office, plus determination and a sense of what the United Nations should become. A forceful politician rather than an artful diplomat, Lie impressed his personality on the unformed office of secretary general.

Thus, when at the outset of its organizational life the Security Council considered Iran's complaint that Soviet troops remained on Iranian territory contrary to the UN Charter, Lie was not only the traditional behind-the-scenes conciliator but took an active public stance. He submitted, on his own initiative, a legal opinion which (though not followed) established the precedent that the secretary general had the right to intervene substantively and on his own motion in the Council's discussions. This precedent was soon embodied in the UN rules of procedure.

Lie progressively developed the powers of his office through his activity on various questions that came before the UN. Despite his efforts to promote continuing Soviet participation in the UN and to facilitate inclusion of Communist China, Lie maintained general support until the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950. Then his outspoken role in organizing the UN's security effort against North Korean aggression led the Soviet Union to break with him.

The U.S.S.R. made clear that it would not support Lie's continuation for a second term in office. The United States was unwilling to see Lie ejected and maintained that it would accept no secretary general but Lie. Thus, the Security Council was deadlocked, and the General Assembly extended Lie's term for 3 years. The U.S.S.R., claiming this extension was illegal, refused to recognize Lie as secretary general once his original term expired, and Lie's usefulness was profoundly impaired.

At the same time, persecution in America of alleged Communists of United States nationality employed by the UN Secretariat caused Lie and his staff much pain. Disheartened by this and by the Soviet boycott, Lie decided the best interests of the UN lay in his resigning. His resignation took effect in April 1953.

Lie returned to Norway, wrote his memoirs, and resumed Cabinet and ambassadorial functions in the Norwegian government. He died on Dec. 30, 1968, survived by his three daughters.

Further Reading

Lie described his 7 years with the UN in In the Cause of Peace (1954). See also Stephen M. Schwebel, The Secretary-General of the United Nations (1952); Leon Gordenker, The UN Secretary-General and the Maintenance of Peace (1967); Andrew W. Cordier and Wilder Foote, The Public Papers of the Secretaries-General of the United Nations, vol. 1: Trygve Lie (1969); and Arthur Rovine, The First Fifty Years (1971).

Additional Sources

Barros, James, Trygve Lie and the cold war: the UN Secretary-General pursues peace, 1946-1953, DeKalb, Ill.: Northern Illinois University Press, 1989.

Trygve Halvdan Lie
1st Secretary-General of the United Nations
In office 2 February, 1946 – 10 November, 1952
Preceded by	Gladwyn Jebb (acting)
Succeeded by	Dag Hammarskjöld
Born	16 July 1896(1896-07-16) Oslo, Norway
Died	30 December 1968 (aged 72) Geilo, Norway
Nationality	Norwegian
Political party	Norwegian Labour Party
Spouse(s)	Hjørdis Jørgensen
Religion	Lutheran/Church of Norway[citation needed]

United Nations portal

Trygve Halvdan Lie (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˌtɾyɡʋə ˈliː]  ( listen); 16 July, 1896 – 30 December, 1968) was a Norwegian politician. From 1946 to 1952 he was the first elected Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 United Nations career 2.2 After the United Nations 3 Notes 4 References 4.1 External links

Early life

Lie was born in Kristiania on 16 July 1896. His father, carpenter Martin Lie, left the family to emigrate to the United States in 1902, never to be heard of again. His mother Hulda ran a boarding house in Grorud near Oslo.^[1] Lie joined the Labour Party in 1911 and was named as the party's national secretary soon after receiving his law degree from the University of Oslo in 1919. He married Hjørdis Jørgensen in 1921; the couple had three daughters, Sissel, Guri, and Mette.

Career

Lie was editor-in-chief for Det 20 århundre ('The 20th Century') from 1919 to 1921. From 1922 to 1935 he was a legal consultant for the Workers' National Trade Union (named Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions from 1957). He chaired the Norwegian Workers' Confederation of Sports from 1931 to 1935.

In local politics he served as a member of the executive committee of Aker municipality council from 1922 to 1931. He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Akershus in 1937. He was appointed Minister of Justice when a Labour Party government was formed by Johan Nygaardsvold in 1935. Lie was later appointed Minister of Trade (July to October 1939) and Minister of Supplies (October 1939 to 1941).

A socialist from an early age,^[1] Lie once met Vladimir Lenin while on a Labour Party visit to Moscow^[2] and gave permission for Leon Trotsky to settle in Norway after he was exiled from the Soviet Union.^{[citation needed]}

In 1940, when Norway was invaded by Nazi Germany, Lie ordered all Norwegian ships to sail to Allied ports. In 1941 Lie was named as Foreign Minister of the Norwegian government-in-exile, and he remained in this position until 1946.

United Nations career

Lie led the Norwegian delegation to the United Nations conference in San Francisco in 1946 and was a leader in drafting the provisions of the United Nations Security Council. He was the leader of the Norwegian delegation to the United Nations general assembly in 1946. On 1 February, 1946, he was elected as the first Secretary General of the United Nations as a result of a compromise between the major powers, having only missed being elected President of the first General Assembly by a small margin.

As Secretary General, Lie supported the foundations of Israel and Indonesia. He worked for the withdrawal of Soviet forces in Iran and a ceasefire to fighting in Kashmir. He attracted the ire of the Soviet Union when he helped gather support for the defence of South Korea after it was invaded^[3] in 1950 and later worked to end the Soviet boycott of UN meetings, though his involvement had only little to do with the eventual return of the Soviet Union to the UN. He was opposed to Spain's entry into the United Nations because of his opposition to the Franco government.

He also sought to have the People's Republic of China recognized by the United Nations^[3] after the Nationalist government was exiled to Taiwan, arguing that the People's Republic was the only government which could fulfill the membership obligations in full.

He has been criticized for his failures to facilitate negotiation in the Berlin Blockade, as well as his failure to bring about a swifter end to the Korean War. His critics argue that he was under the influence of a select few in the UN Secretariat.^{[citation needed]} He has also been criticized for his arrogance and stubbornness.^{[citation needed]}

In 1950, over objections from the Soviet Union, the UN General Assembly voted by 46 votes to 5 to extend Lie's term of office. The vote was a consequence of an impasse in the Security Council in which the US refused to accept any candidate but Lie while the Soviet Union refused to consider Lie due to his involvement in the Korean War. The Soviet Union subsequently refused to acknowledge Lie as Secretary General and, having been accused by Joseph McCarthy of hiring "disloyal" Americans – an allegation which he attributed to the pressing need for civil servants following the establishment of the UN – Lie resigned on November 10, 1952.

After the United Nations

Lie remained active in Norwegian politics after his resignation from the UN. He was the County Governor of Oslo and Akershus, Chairman of the Board of Energy, Minister of Industry^[4], and Minister of Trade and Shipping. He wrote a number of books.

Though he never achieved widespread popularity, he earned a reputation as a pragmatic, determined politician.^[who?]

Lie died on 30 December, 1968 of a heart attack in Geilo, Norway. He was 72 years old.^[3]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} "Immigrant to What?". Time Magazine: p. 1. 25 November 1946. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,852919,00.html. Retrieved 17 December 2008. 
2. ^ "Immigrant to What?". Time Magazine: p. 2. 25 November 1946. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,852919-2,00.html. Retrieved 17 December 2008. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Milestones". Time Magazine: p. 2. 10 Januar 1969. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,839743-2,00.html. Retrieved 17 December 2008. 
4. ^ "End of an Institution". Time Magazine. 30 August 1963. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,940710,00.html. Retrieved 17 December 2008. 

References

• "Trygve Lie" (in Norwegian). Stortinget.no. http://www.stortinget.no/no/Representanter-og-komiteer/Representantene/Representantfordeling/Representant/?perid=TRLI&tab=Biography. 
• Official U.N.S.G.biography

External links

• Trygve Lie Gallery in New York

Political offices
Preceded by Arne Sunde	Norwegian Minister of Justice and the Police 1935–1939	Succeeded by Terje Wold
Preceded by Alfred Martin Madsen	Norwegian Minister of Trade July 1939–October 1939	Succeeded by Anders Frihagen
Preceded by position created	Norwegian Minister of Supplies October 1939–1941	Succeeded by Arne Sunde
Preceded by Halvdan Koht	Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs 1940–1946 (acting 1940–1941)	Succeeded by Halvard Lange
Preceded by Gladwyn Jebb (acting)	United Nations Secretary-General 1946–1952	Succeeded by Dag Hammarskjöld
Preceded by Carl Platou	County Governor of Oslo and Akershus 1955–1963	Succeeded by John Lyng
Preceded by Kjell Holler	Norwegian Minister of Industry July 1963–August 1963	Succeeded by Kaare Meland
Preceded by Kaare Meland	Norwegian Minister of Industry September 1963–1964	Succeeded by Karl Trasti
Preceded by Erik Himle	Norwegian Minister of Trade and Shipping 1964–1965	Succeeded by Kåre Willoch

v • d • e Secretaries-General of the League of Nations and United Nations League of Nations (1919-1945) James Eric Drummond (United Kingdom) • Joseph Louis Anne Avenol (France) • Seán Lester (Irish Free State) United Nations (since 1945) Gladwyn Jebb (United Kingdom)* • Trygve Lie (Norway) • Dag Hammarskjöld (Sweden) • U Thant (Burma) • Kurt Waldheim (Austria) Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (Peru) • Boutros Boutros-Ghali (Egypt) • Kofi Annan (Ghana) • Ban Ki-moon (South Korea) *Gladwyn Jebb was provisional Secretary-General of the United Nations prior to the election of Trygve Lie

v • d • e Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs 1945-Present Trygve Lie • Halvard Lange • Erling Wikborg • Halvard Lange • John Lyng • Svenn Stray • Andreas Cappelen • Dagfinn Vårvik • Knut Frydenlund • Svenn Stray • Knut Frydenlund • Thorvald Stoltenberg • Kjell Magne Bondevik • Thorvald Stoltenberg • Johan Jørgen Holst • Bjørn Tore Godal • Knut Vollebæk • Thorbjørn Jagland • Jan Petersen • Jonas Gahr Støre

Persondata
NAME	Lie, Trygve
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Norwegian politician, first United Nations Secretary-General
DATE OF BIRTH	July 16, 1896
PLACE OF BIRTH	Oslo, Norway
DATE OF DEATH	December 30, 1968
PLACE OF DEATH	Geilo, Norway

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)