Talk:Sergei Witte

message: Which Tsar did he work for, Alexander III? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.105.20.188 (talk) 23:14, 19 April 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: -He worked for Tsar Nicholas II, it was he [Witte] that penned the October Manifesto after all.There is some more information about this here; http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSwitte.htm  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.131.115.178 (talk) 16:57, 7 November 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Witte served under the last two emperors of Russia, Tsar Alexander III and his son, Tsar Nicholas II -- see Harcave, Sidney. (2004).  Count Sergei Witte and the Twilight of Imperial Russia: A Biography, p. xiii. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Enkyo2 (talk • contribs) 19:54, 30 July 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Tsar 

message: *Witte was transferred to the relatively powerless position of Chairman of the Committee of Ministers in 1903, a position he held until 1905.
*Witte was brought back into the governmental decision-making process to help deal with the civil unrest following the war and Bloody Sunday. He was appointed Chairman of the Council of Ministers, the equivalent of Prime Minister, in 1905.
How can he be in the powerless position of chairman till 1905 then be appointed to the same job as a reward? These lines contradict; was he something else from 1903 to 1905? - Grible (talk) 19:06, 23 April 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Witte was promoted to his position as Finance Minister (Russia) by Alexander III; but when Nicholas II ascended the throne, the newly enthroned tsar was less comfortable with his father's minister, Witte. In 1903, Witte was "promoted" into an new role with a hollow title and no real power; and there he languished until the tsar couldn't think of anything else to do other than recalling Witte to mitigate the consequences of those three fallow years.  As I see it, the problem here is simply that our Wikipedia text wasn't as well written as Harcave's account.  There is also some degree of understandable confusion because the two positions -- Committee of Ministers (Russia) vs. Council of Ministers (Russia) -- appear to be a little too much alike, almost as if one or the other were a mistake. -- see Harcave, Sidney. (2004).  Count Sergei Witte and the Twilight of Imperial Russia: A Biography, p. xiii-xiv. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Enkyo2 (talk • contribs) 21:20, 30 July 2008 (UTC)
replies: text:  I didn't but thanks for answering it for me. :) Grible (talk) 23:16, 23 October 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Contradiction 

message: Someone thought it made sense to add the following amongst the "External links" ...:
* Biographical notes on Peter von Hahn, etc.
The only relevance I can see is that Witte's first cousin was prominent in the Theosophy movement.  In my view, the link is not helpful; but I'm posting it here in case someone else recognizes a connection which would support restoring the link to its former location. --Tenmei (talk) 11:49, 30 July 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: He was almost certainly a Freemason and was sympathetic to certain social movements but all in all I agree, it isn't particularly relevent other than he mentions his cousin was a minor celebrity in spiritualistic circles and I believe something of a charlatin.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mcdanielbrianc (talk • contribs) 00:28, 18 January 2010 (UTC)
thread_title: Theosophy?

message: *1. The documentation which accompanies the uploaded photograph identifies J J. Korostovetz as seated at the negotiating table with others who worked on the Treaty of Portsmouth in 1905. The image comes from the following: 
** Davis, Richard Harding, and Alfred Thayer Mahan. (1905).  The Russo-Japanese war; a photographic and descriptive review of the great conflict in the Far East, gathered from the reports, records, cable despatches, photographs, etc., etc., of Collier's war correspondents  New York: P. F. Collier & Son.  OCLC: 21581015
*2. A quick Google search reveals that Korostovetz was secretary to Sergei Witte in this period; and the account of the treaty negotiations which was based on Korostovetz' diary is considered a credible primary source:
** Korostovetz, J.J. (1920).  Pre-War Diplomacy The Russo-Japanese Problem. London: British Periodicals Limited.
*3. A quick Google search of "Kokovtsov and Portsmouth" has not produced support that he was in the United States during the negotiations.
For these reasons, it would appear to be a mistake to replace Korostovetz (which is supported by a specific citation per WP:V) with Kokovtsov in this caption ... unless a credible source can be presented which contradicts the results of research which have been plainly cited here. --Tenmei (talk) 18:29, 30 September 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Image caption

message: In an important photograph, Witte is shown sitting at a negotiation table at the close of the Russo-Japanese War.  The actual table on which the Treaty of Portsmouth was signed becomes a physical link to the life and successes of this diplomat -- a plausible relevance, but not essential.  In my view, the crucial question becomes whether this trivial detail helps in making the article and the accompanying photograph "come to life"? --Tenmei (talk) 15:35, 9 November 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Peace treaty table

message: There is not a word of Witte´s part to arrange the finance for building the Chinese Eastern Railway to Manchuria, nominally inside Chinese territory and which role he played when the Banque Russo-Asiatique was created under close ties with Russian Ministry of Finance. This happened in 1895 and it was Witte who arranged the financial ties with French bank named Banque du Nord France. The article is not complete at all. His wife is mentioned in many occassions to be a Jew, which turned him out of certain powerful political influenced circles in Russia. Witte had also some connections to one Belgian bank and one American banker was also involded to financing the rolling stock from Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America. Peharps there comes more information available in main article. It seems that some financial "sharks" entered into scene to make easy money in China.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.115.122.217 (talk) 16:43, 27 March 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: Witte had all kinds of banking connections. He was the head of the russian state bank's boss for goodness sake. It was his field. As far as the financing and building of the Chinese Eastern Railway he was almost entirely responsible for it from start to finish beginning with the negotiations with China that allowed the railroad to be built. That railway cut considerable time/miles from the trip between St. Petersburg to Vladivostock and back. It was all done above board.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mcdanielbrianc (talk • contribs) 00:33, 18 January 2010 (UTC)
thread_title: Witte and arrange the financing to build the Chinese Eastern Railway

message: The link under note 3 to Harcave's book actually directs us to his 1990 translation of Witte's memoirs. 2001:1C02:1907:9500:596F:C445:F068:5605 (talk) 12:23, 15 September 2016 (UTC)
thread_title:  Link to Harcave's book wrong 

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*Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20090710195205/http://www.kto-is-kto.ru/?page=person_detail&person=540 to http://www.kto-is-kto.ru/?page=person_detail&person=540
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thread_title:  External links modified 

message: In 2016 I went to the archives in Riga to trace his ancestors, supposedly Dutch. I could not find any record that proves that. The Witte's were Baltic Germans and have German first names. According to the Russian Wikipedia: "by the 18th century, these Wittes were completely germanic and represented typical Baltic burghers".Taksen (talk) 20:39, 14 October 2022 (UTC)
thread_title: Dutch ancestors?

message: Pretty sure it should be [ ˈvʲitːɛ] — the usual unstressed vowel lenition rules won’t operate on a German name. And the t won’t be palatalized. -- Y not? 15:15, 29 December 2022 (UTC)
thread_title:  Pronunciation of surname