Baron Mikhail Alexandrovich Taube (May 15, 1869, Pavlovsk, Russian Federation – November 29, 1961; Paris, France) was a famous Russian international lawyer, statesman and legal historian. Being a Catholic converted from Russian Orthodoxy, Taube came from an old Swedish-German family von Taube, known from the 13th century, one of the branches of Baltic Germans in the service of the Russian throne.
Taube's father was Alexander Ferdinandovich, a graduate of the Petersburg State Transport University and his mother was Anna (born Butorova). His brother,Alexander: a Lieutenant-General of the Russian Imperial Army, who after the revolution in Russia, being popular among soldier, was elected to represent them in local government. In 1917 Bolsheviks came to power in St.Petersburg and Moscow, eventually the central authorities have extended their power to Siberia where Alexander Taube was located. The next year, in 1919 Soviet Red forces were defeated by White Volunteer Army. General Alexander Taube was imprisoned and under investigation when he died of typhus in the Ekaterinburg prison. The other brothers: Colonel Jacob murdered during an uprising in St. Petersburg,1918; Colonel Boris served in Volunteer ("White") Army under general Miller, emigrated and lived in France; State Counsellor Sergei, a railway engineer, remained in the Soviet Union and was recognized as distinguished engineer. Baron Michael Taube has married in 1897, to Raisa Vladimirovna Rogal-Katchura, from whom he had three daughters and one son.Michael and his immediate family have initially emigrated to Sweden later lived in France.
Graduated from St. Petersburg High School (1887, gold medal)and St. Petersburg State University, Law Faculty, 1891, thesis: "The reception of Roman law in the West". Continued his work at the university starting December 1, 1891, to prepare for a professorship, Department of International Law. Taube was a pupil of the famous international lawyer, Professor Friedrich Martens.
On May 28, 1896 he received degree of Master of International Law ("The history of modern international law. (Middle Ages). T. I. Introduction and part of the total. SPb., 1894") and November 29, 1899 received degree of Doctor in International Law ("The history of modern international law". (Middle Ages). T.II. part: Principles of Peace and Law in International Conflicts of the Middle Ages. Kharkov, 1899"). From January 1, 1897, he taught at the University of Kharkov, from 1903 to 1911 at University of St. Petersburg (replaced his teacher at the Department Friedrich Martens), from 1909 to 1917 at Imperial School of Jurisprudence. Taube was also a founding member of the Russian Society of Maritime Law (1905).