Max Petitpierre
Max Pierre Petit ( born February 26, 1899 in Neuchâtel, † March 25, 1994 ) was a Swiss politician (FDP) from the canton of Neuchatel. As he was Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs and has held three times the office of president.
Life
After completing his studies at the University of Neuchâtel Max Pierre Petit acquired 1922 and 1925, the Attorney - Notary and took over the same year his father's law firm. Since 1926 he has taught at the University of Neuchâtel and was professor of international civil and private law since 1932. His political career began in 1937 as a Member of the Grand Council of the Canton of Neuchâtel and 1940 as a parliamentarian of the city of Neuchâtel. His Canton 1942-1944 he represented in the Senate.
The United Federal Assembly elected Max Pierre Petit, succeeding Marcel Pilet- Golaz on 14 December 1944 at the first ballot in the Federal Council. From his predecessor and party colleague, he took over on 1 February 1945, the Federal Political Department. Parliament confirm him in 1947, 1951, 1955 and 1959, in office. He was Vice President of the Bundesrat in 1949 and 1950 Federal President. Due to the resignations of Vice President Joseph Escher and Giuseppe Lepori it was 1955 and 1960 President directly. Following the resignation of Philipp Etter from the Federal Council 1960-1961 he was senior member of the government. For health reasons, he resigned on 30 June 1961.
His hometown was Neuchâtel and Couvet. He was a member of the Zofingia. His son, Gilles Petit Pierre, also was a law professor and politician.
After the war, distrusted the victors of Switzerland that maintained economic relations with the German Empire until its collapse. Max Pierre Petit tried to break it to external political and economic isolation. After tough negotiations was in 1946 with the Allies closed the Washington Agreement and the diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union resumed.
Petit Pierre advised the Swiss foreign policy from new, which was seminal to the end of the Cold War and in its basic features still valid. With the help of neutrality, independence of Switzerland should continue to be guaranteed. The accession to political organizations and military alliances was excluded as opposed to economic cooperation. At the same time the good offices of Switzerland should be highlighted with solidarity. Switzerland joined UN agencies therefore in one, providing humanitarian aid and made the first attempts in development aid.
On 17 January 1950 Petit Pierre surprisingly quickly able to recognize the People's Republic of China through Switzerland. The Confederation was thus to Great Britain, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the fifth western country with diplomatic relations with Red China.