# Embassies during war **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 12, 2006, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassies-during-war/380087 "2006-11-12T07:36:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassies-during-war/380087/21 "2006-11-17T17:46:17Z")
[QUOTE=Fir na tine] Some years back there was a story in the Wall Street Journal in a similar vein. When Germany annexed the Balkans, the caretaker of the Lithiuanian Embassy in the US took it upon himself to keep the embassy in good repair. [/QUOTE] Germany never annexed the Balkans, which incidentally are nowhere near Lithuania. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassies-during-war/380087/22 "2006-11-17T17:51:13Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] The diplomats were taken to the Geenbrier Hotel in West Virginia where the Germans complained the Japanese got larger rooms. [/QUOTE] That little factoid at the end made this the funniest thing I’ve read in a hell of a long time… -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassies-during-war/380087/23 "2006-11-17T19:07:19Z")
[QUOTE=psychonaut] Germany never annexed the Balkans, which incidentally are nowhere near Lithuania. [/QUOTE] Maybe the “Baltics” (Baltic States)? ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassies-during-war/380087/24 "2006-11-17T19:14:53Z")
I think he meant the _Baltics_. BTW the USSR annexed them, not Germany. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassies-during-war/380087/25 "2006-11-17T19:32:34Z")
[QUOTE=alphaboi867] I think he meant the _Baltics_. BTW the USSR annexed them, not Germany. [/QUOTE] Germany did indeed annex them, or at least occupy them. ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassies-during-war/380087/26 "2006-11-17T20:03:26Z")
[QUOTE=psychonaut] Germany did indeed annex them, or at least occupy them. [/QUOTE] But the USSR annexed them first, which is what matters in the context of the caretaker deciding to look after the Lithuanian embassy. ---
**Author:** ![Neptunian\_Slug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Neptunian\_Slug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptunian_Slug)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassies-during-war/380087/27 "2006-11-23T20:09:49Z")
[QUOTE=Fir na tine] Some years back there was a story in the Wall Street Journal in a similar vein. When Germany annexed the Balkans, the caretaker of the Lithiuanian Embassy in the US took it upon himself to keep the embassy in good repair. He did this without pay for around 50 years. When Lithiuana became independent again, the Embassy was waiting. Wish I has saved the story or had a link to it. [/QUOTE] I guess this answer is a bit stale, but my internet has been down for two weeks. I don’t know if you could expect this same courtesy today. The old Vietnamese Embassy on R Street in DC was in pretty rough shape when diplomatic relations were restored. The roof and interior were all in serious need of repair. When Vietnam started up, the Embassy worked out of an office building downtown. Not sure if its open again. Iran’s Embassy (still visible from Mass. Ave.) is still closed and I imagine sits unattended. Someone told me that we have possession of the property and its used for storage. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2006, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassies-during-war/380087/28 "2006-11-24T04:03:10Z")
When we went back to Kabul, the US Marines retook the old US Embassy there. The outside was trashed, cars long-stolen and all that. When they got beyond the security doors, they found a note from the last Marines to the next Marines welcoming them back, and leaving them a case of beer. A smiling Ronald Reagan looked down from the wall. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2006, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassies-during-war/380087/29 "2006-11-24T17:44:58Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] When we went back to Kabul, the US Marines retook the old US Embassy there. The outside was trashed, cars long-stolen and all that. When they got beyond the security doors, they found a note from the last Marines to the next Marines welcoming them back, and leaving them a case of beer. A smiling Ronald Reagan looked down from the wall. [/QUOTE] Before the first war with Iraq (in 1991 or thereabouts) I remember hearing on the news that the US had ordered all Iraqi diplomatic people to leave our country. I don’t remember how long it was 'till the shooting started – I want to say weeks or months. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassies-during-war/380087/30 "2006-11-24T18:53:10Z")
[QUOTE=Diceman] Before the first war with Iraq (in 1991 or thereabouts) I remember hearing on the news that the US had ordered all Iraqi diplomatic people to leave our country. I don’t remember how long it was 'till the shooting started – I want to say weeks or months. [/QUOTE] What about Iraq’s UN Mission? Did we expell them? Or do we have to allow UN members to send diplomats to NYC as a condition of hosting the UN? We’ve allowed folks like Castro and Ahmadinejad into the country to speak at the UN. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassies-during-war/380087.md?page=1)