Ribbentrop, Joachim von (1893-1946)

German Nazi politician and diplomat. As foreign minister 1938-45, he negotiated the nonaggression pact between Germany and the USSR (the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact of 1939). He was tried at Nürnberg as a war criminal in 1946 and hanged.

Born in the Rhineland, Ribbentrop was awarded the Iron Cross in World War I, and from 1919 became wealthy as a wine merchant. He joined the Nazi party in 1932 and acted as Hitler's adviser on foreign affairs; he was German ambassador to the UK 1936-38. A political lightweight and social climber, his loyalty was useful to Hitler since he posed no threat, although he was regarded with contempt by his colleagues.