Baron Mikhail Alexandrovich Taube (May 15, 1869, Pavlovsk, Russian Empire – November 29, 1961; Paris, France) was a famous Russian international lawyer, statesman and legal historian. Being a Catholic converted from Russian Orthodoxy, Taube came from an old Swedish-German family von Taube, known from the 13th century, one of the branches of Baltic Germans in the service of the Russian throne.
Family
Taube's father was Alexander Ferdinandovich, a graduate of the Petersburg State Transport University and his mother was Anna (born Butorova). His brother,Alexander: a Lieutenant-General of the Russian Imperial Army, who after the revolution in Russia, being popular among soldier, was elected to represent them in local government. In 1917 Bolsheviks came to power in St.Petersburg and Moscow, eventually the central authorities have extended their power to Siberia where Alexander Taube was located. The next year, in 1919 Soviet Red forces were defeated by White Volunteer Army. General Alexander Taube was imprisoned and under investigation when he died of typhus in the Ekaterinburg prison. The other brothers: Colonel Jacob was murdered during Bolshevic uprising in St. Petersburg,1918; Colonel Boris served in Volunteer ("White") Army under general Miller, emigrated and lived in France; State Counsellor Sergei, a railway engineer, remained in the Soviet Union and was recognized as a distinguished engineer. Baron Michael Taube married in 1897, spouse Raisa Vladimirovna Rogal-Katchura, from whom he had three daughters and a son. His immediate family have initially emigrated to Sweden later lived in France.
Education
Graduated from St. Petersburg High School (1887, gold medal) and St. Petersburg University, Law Faculty, 1891, thesis: "The reception of Roman law in the West". Continued his work at the university starting December 1, 1891, to prepare for a professorship, Department of International Law. Taube was a pupil of the famous international lawyer, Professor Friedrich Martens.
Legal scholarship
On May 28, 1896 he received degree of Master of International Law ("The history of modern international law. (Middle Ages). T. I. Introduction and part of the total. SPb., 1894") and November 29, 1899 received degree of Doctor in International Law ("The history of modern international law". (Middle Ages). T.II. part: Principles of Peace and Law in International Conflicts of the Middle Ages. Kharkov, 1899"). From January 1, 1897, he taught at the University of Kharkov, from 1903 to 1911 at University of St. Petersburg (replaced his teacher at the Department Friedrich Martens), from 1909 to 1917 at Imperial School of Jurisprudence. Taube was also a founding member of the Russian Society of Maritime Law (1905).
Diplomat
From January 2, 1892 until 1917, he was attached to the Russian Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Taube was Deputy Director of the Second Department of the MFA (from 1905), then Adviser (from 1907) and permanent member of the Council of the Ministry. From 1904 to 1905 he was Russian legal representative at the Paris international commission of inquiry recarding Dogger Bank incident, where he, along with Admiral Fyodor Dubasov, was instrumental in the successful defense of Russian interests in this complex case. From 1908 to 1909 he represented Russia at a conference on maritime law in London. On November 18, 1909 Taube was Russia's representative to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. He worked on numerous explanations, helped prepare and provide advice on international law. In 1914, a few weeks before the start of the First World War, persuaded the Russian government to withdraw from the German banks. This included withdrawal of Russian gold from Germany to Russia.
Statesman
On April 22, 1911, he was Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Empire. Taube was a close associate of the minister Lev Kasso and supported conservative political views. During Kasso illness, for about a year he acted as Minister of Education. After the death of Casso, from October 19, 1914 to January 11, 1915, he served as Minister of Education of Russia. On many occasions he spoke in the State Duma (Russian Empire), for example on the allocation of the Kingdom of Poland in the Chelm province in 1912, as well as other topics. He participated in drafting the law on the universal primary education in the Russian Empire.
On February 11, 1915, he was appointed a senator, privy councilor. On January 1, 1917, Taube became a member of the State Council (Russian Empire), a member of the Right wing of the Council.