The men behind the masks

Curzon

Lord George Nathaniel Curzon (1859 – 1925) entered the British House of Commons as a Conservative MP in 1886, where he served as undersecretary of India and Foreign Affairs. He was appointed Viceroy of India at the turn of the 20th century where he delineated the North West Frontier Province, ordered a military expedition to Tibet, and unsuccessfully tried to partition the province of Bengal during his six-year tenure. Curzon served as Leader of the House of Lords in Prime Minister Lloyd George’s War Cabinet and became Foreign Secretary in January 1919, where his most famous act was the drawing of the Curzon Line between a new Polish state and Russia. His publications include Russia in Central Asia (1889) and Persia and the Persian Question (1892).

In real life, “Curzon” is a US citizen from the East Coast who has been a financial analyst, freelance translator, and university professor; he is currently on assignment in Tokyo.

Younghusband

Sir Francis Edward Younghusband (1863-1942) was a British explorer, army officer, military-political officer, and foreign correspondent born in India who led expeditions into Manchuria, Kashgar, and Tibet. He three times tried and failed to scale Mt. Everest and journeyed from China to India, crossing the Gobi desert and the Mustagh Pass (alt. c.19,000 ft/5,791 m) of the Karakoram mountain range in modern day Pakistan. Convinced of Russian designs on British interests in India, Younghusband proactively engaged in the nineteenth century spying and conflict over Central Asia between the British and the Russians known as the Great Game.

“Younghusband” is a Canadian who spent a number of years bouncing back and forth between his home country and Japan. Fluent in Japanese and English, with experience in numerous other languages from Spanish to Georgian, Younghusband has travelled throughout Asia from North to South to West. He recently received his MA in War Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada.

Chirol

Sir Ignatius Valentine Chirol (1852 – 1929) was a journalist, prolific author, world historian, and British diplomat. He began his career as a foreign correspondent and later became editor of the London Times. After two decades as a journalist he joined Her Majesty’s Foreign Ministry as a diplomat and was subsequently knighted for his distinguished service as a foreign affairs advisor. Additionally, he wrote a dozen books on foreign affairs including The Far Eastern Question (1896), Serbia and the Serbs (1914), The End of the Ottoman Empire (1920) and The Egyptian Problem (1921). He is generally credited with popularizing “Middle East” in reference to the Arabian Peninsula with his book The Middle Eastern Question (1903).

“Chirol” is a US citizen who has been working in Germany the past four years. As with the historical Chirol, he has traveled to over thirty countries including a few unrecognized ones. Chirol speaks English and German fluently with basic knowledge of a handful of others. He is currently preparing for graduate school in the United States for Defense and Strategic Studies.