Trygve Lie

Trygve Lie

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1st Secretary-General of the United Nations
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Political party

Trygve Halvdan Lie () (July 16, 1896 – December 30, 1968) was a Norwegian politician. From 1946 to 1952 he was the first official Secretary-General of the United Nations. As a representative of the Norwegian goverment, Lie was very involved in the meetings that led up to the formation of the United Nations.

A very significant role that Lie played as Secretary General was his work to organize multinational troops to respond to the invasion of Korea in 1950. Prior to this, he also lent his support to the formation of the nations of Israel and Indonesia.

Early Life

Lie was born in Oslo (then Kristiania) on July 16, 1896. Lie's father, Martin, left the family to work as a carpenter in the United States when Trygvie was young. His mother, Hulda, ran a boarding house.

Trygvie Lie became interested in politics at a very young age. Lie joined the Labour Party in 1911 when he was just 15 years old. Eight years later, Lie was named the Labour Party's national secretary. He had just completed his law degree at the University of Oslo.

Lie married Hjørdis Jørgensen in 1921. The couple had three daughters named, Sissel, Guri, and Mette.

Political Career Flourishes

Lie worked as a legal consultant starting in 1922. Continuing on the upward track, he was subsequently elected to the Storting (Norway's Parliament).

He was appointed Minister of Justice when a Labour Party government was formed by Johan Nygaardsvold in 1935. Lie was later named Minister of Trade and Industries and Minister of Supply and Shipping.

An early admirer of the October Revolution in Russia, Lie once met Vladimir Lenin and gave permission for Leon Trotsky to settle in Norway after he was exiled from the Soviet Union. It has been rumored that Lie succumbed to Joseph Stalin's wishes to have Trotsky placed under house arrest, though historians can neither confirm nor fully deny this. Lie later ordered Trotsky to leave Norway when Trotsky violated his promise to refrain from political activity.

When Norway was invaded by Germany in 1940, Lie ordered all Norwegian ships to sail to Allied ports. This action saved the Norwegian Navy. Perhaps due to his strategic decision, Lie was named Foreign Minister of the Norwegian government-in-exile.

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 February 1, 1946, Trygvie Lie was elected the first Secretary General of the United Nations as a result of a compromise between the major powers. He had only missed election as President of the first General Assembly by a small margin.

Lie was instrumental in securing the current site in New York City for the United Nations Headquarters and establishing the offices there. He worked closely with John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Manhattan real estate developer, William Zeckendorf Sr. to secure a parcel of land along the East River in Manhattan for the Headquarters complex.

As Secretary General, Lie supported the foundation of Israel and Indonesia. He worked for the withdrawal of Soviet forces in Iran and a ceasefire to fighting in Kashmir.

Lie attracted the ire of the Soviet Union when he helped gather support for the defense of South Korea after it was invaded in 1950. Later, he worked to end the Soviet boycott of UN meetings. But his involvement with this has 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 after the Nationalist government was exiled to Taiwan. Lie's argument was 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 more swift end to the Korean War. His critics argue that he was under the influence of a select few in the UN Secretariat. He has also been criticized for his arrogance and stubbornness.

Over objections from the Soviet Union, his term of office was extended by the General Assembly 46 - 5 in 1950. This was the result of a Security Council impasse, in which the US refused to accept any candidate but Lie. The Soviet Union absolutely refused to accept him again due to his involvement in the Korean War. The Soviet Union refused to acknowledge him as secretary general in his second term.

After being accused by Joseph McCarthy of hiring "disloyal" Americans (an allegation which he attributed to the rapid hiring of civil servants necessary after the creation of the organization), Lie resigned on November 10, 1952.

Lie remained active in Norwegian politics after his resignation from the UN. He was the Governor of Oslo and Akershus, Chairman of the Board of Energy, Minister of the Interior, and Minister of Trade. Though he never achieved widespread popularity, he earned a reputation as a pragmatic, determined politician.

Lie died on December 30, 1968 of a heart attack. He was 72 years old.

External links

• Official U.N.S.G.biography
• Trygve Lie Gallery in New York
• Trygye Lie Resume

Preceded by: Gladywn Jebb (Acting)

UN Secretary-General 1946-1952

Succeeded by: Dag Hammarskjöld

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