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Walter Simons
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==Civil service career== In 1893, Simons became ''Amtsgerichtsrat'' (judge) at Velbert. From 1897 to 1905, he was ''Landgerichtsrat'' at the ''Gemeinschaftliche Landgericht'' of [[Thuringia]] at [[Meiningen]]. In 1905, he went to Kiel where he worked at the ''[[Oberlandesgericht]]'', but left that same year to work as a clerk at the ''[[Reichsjustizamt]]'' at Berlin.<ref name=Bio/> In 1907, Simons was promoted to ''Geheimer Regierungsrat'' and ''Vortragender Rat'', responsible for international law. He represented the Reich at several international conferences and in 1911 moved to the ''[[Federal Foreign Office|Auswärtige Amt]]'' (Foreign Office) where he became ''Geheimer Legationsrat'' and ''Justitiar''. In 1917, he was promoted to ''Wirklicher Geheimer Rat'' and in 1918 participated in the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk|negotiations at Brest-Litovsk]]. On 15 October 1918, shortly before the [[German Revolution of 1918-19]], chancellor [[Max von Baden]] made him advisor to the ''[[Reichskanzler]]'' on issues of international law. He was close to the chancellor and was an important influence on the reform of the [[Constitution of the German Empire|German constitution of 1871]] known as the ''[[German constitutional reforms of October 1918|Oktoberreformen]]'' which strengthened the position of the [[Reichstag (German Empire)|Reichstag]]. He also worked on plans to have [[Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Wilhelm II]] resign in favour of a relative and participated in negotiations at the ''Reichsamt des Innern'' (Interior Ministry) about a new constitution.<ref name=Bio/> In November 1918, Simons became ''Ministerialdirektor'' and head of the law department at the Foreign Office. In 1919, as a close staff member of Foreign Minister [[Ulrich von Brockdorff-Rantzau]] he was ''Unterstaatssekretär '' and ''Generalkommissar'' of the German delegation at [[Treaty of Versailles|Versailles]].<ref name=Bio/> Since he opposed German signature of the Treaty, Simons resigned his post (''einstweiliger Ruhestand'') and became managing director of the ''Reichsverband der deutschen Industrie'' (the industrialists' association). In 1920, he resigned from the [[Pan-German League]] where he had served on the executive board in 1903–1907.<ref name=Bio/>
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