The word diplomacy is

For the textual analysis of historic documents, see Diplomatics.

Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.[1][2]

Diplomacy is the main instrument of foreign policy which represents the broader goals and strategies that guide a state’s interactions with the rest of the world. International treaties, agreements, alliances, and other manifestations of international relations are usually the result of diplomatic negotiations and processes. Diplomats may also help to shape a state by advising government officials.

Modern diplomatic methods, practices, and principles originated largely from 17th-century European custom. Beginning in the early 20th century, diplomacy became professionalized; the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, ratified by most of the world’s sovereign states, provides a framework for diplomatic procedures, methods, and conduct. Most diplomacy is now conducted by accredited officials, such as envoys and ambassadors, through a dedicated foreign affairs office. Diplomats operate through diplomatic missions, most commonly consulates and embassies, and rely on a number of support staff; the term diplomat is thus sometimes applied broadly to diplomatic and consular personnel and foreign ministry officials.[3]

Etymology[edit]

The term diplomacy is derived from the 18th-century French term diplomate («diplomat» or «diplomatist»), based on the ancient Greek diplōma, which roughly means «an object folded in two».[4] This reflected the practice of sovereigns providing a folded document to confer some sort of official privilege; prior to invention of the envelope, folding a document served to protect the privacy of its contents. The term was later applied to all official documents, such as those containing agreements between governments, and thus became identified with international relations. This established history has in recent years been criticized by scholarship pointing out how the term originates in the political context of the French Revolution. [5] [6]

History[edit]

Ger van Elk, Symmetry of Diplomacy, 1975, Groninger Museum

Western Asia[edit]

Some of the earliest known diplomatic records are the Amarna letters written between the pharaohs of the eighteenth dynasty of Egypt and the Amurru rulers of Canaan during the 14th century BC. Peace treaties were concluded between the Mesopotamian city-states of Lagash and Umma around approximately 2100 BC. Following the Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BC during the nineteenth dynasty, the pharaoh of Egypt and the ruler of the Hittite Empire created one of the first known international peace treaties, which survives in stone tablet fragments, now generally called the Egyptian–Hittite peace treaty.[citation needed]

The ancient Greek city-states on some occasions dispatched envoys to negotiate specific issues, such as war and peace or commercial relations, but did not have diplomatic representatives regularly posted in each other’s territory. However, some of the functions given to modern diplomatic representatives were fulfilled by a proxenos, a citizen of the host city who had friendly relations with another city, often through familial ties. In times of peace, diplomacy was even conducted with non-Hellenistic rivals such as the Achaemenid Empire of Persia, through it was ultimately conquered by Alexander the Great of Macedon. Alexander was also adept at diplomacy, realizing that the conquest of foreign cultures would be better achieved by having his Macedonian and Greek subjects intermingle and intermarry with native populations. For instance, Alexander took as his wife a Sogdian woman of Bactria, Roxana, after the siege of the Sogdian Rock, in order to placate the rebelling populace. Diplomacy remained a necessary tool of statecraft for the great Hellenistic states that succeeded Alexander’s empire, such as the Ptolemaic Kingdom and Seleucid Empire, which fought several wars in the Near East and often negotiated peace treaties through marriage alliances.

Ottoman Empire[edit]

Relations with the Ottoman Empire were particularly important to Italian states, to which the Ottoman government was known as the Sublime Porte.[7] The maritime republics of Genoa and Venice depended less and less upon their nautical capabilities, and more and more upon the perpetuation of good relations with the Ottomans.[7] Interactions between various merchants, diplomats and clergymen hailing from the Italian and Ottoman empires helped inaugurate and create new forms of diplomacy and statecraft. Eventually the primary purpose of a diplomat, which was originally a negotiator, evolved into a persona that represented an autonomous state in all aspects of political affairs. It became evident that all other sovereigns felt the need to accommodate themselves diplomatically, due to the emergence of the powerful political environment of the Ottoman Empire.[7] One could come to the conclusion that the atmosphere of diplomacy within the early modern period revolved around a foundation of conformity to Ottoman culture.

East Asia[edit]

Further information: Category:Chinese diplomats, Heqin, Haijin, Sino-Roman relations, Sino-Indian relations, Europeans in Medieval China, Jesuit China missions, Nanban trade, Luso-Chinese agreement (1554), History of Macau, Macartney Embassy, and Islam in China

One of the earliest realists in international relations theory was the 6th-century BC military strategist Sun Tzu (d. 496 BC), author of The Art of War. He lived during a time in which rival states were starting to pay less attention to traditional respects of tutelage to the Zhou dynasty (c. 1050–256 BC) figurehead monarchs while each vied for power and total conquest. However, a great deal of diplomacy in establishing allies, bartering land, and signing peace treaties was necessary for each warring state, and the idealized role of the «persuader/diplomat» developed.[8]

From the Battle of Baideng (200 BC) to the Battle of Mayi (133 BC), the Han dynasty was forced to uphold a marriage alliance and pay an exorbitant amount of tribute (in silk, cloth, grain, and other foodstuffs) to the powerful northern nomadic Xiongnu that had been consolidated by Modu Shanyu. After the Xiongnu sent word to Emperor Wen of Han (r. 180–157) that they controlled areas stretching from Manchuria to the Tarim Basin oasis city-states, a treaty was drafted in 162 BC proclaiming that everything north of the Great Wall belong to nomads’ lands, while everything south of it would be reserved for Han Chinese. The treaty was renewed no less than nine times, but did not restrain some Xiongnu tuqi from raiding Han borders. That was until the far-flung campaigns of Emperor Wu of Han (r. 141–87 BC) which shattered the unity of the Xiongnu and allowed Han to conquer the Western Regions; under Wu, in 104 BC the Han armies ventured as far Fergana in Central Asia to battle the Yuezhi who had conquered Hellenistic Greek areas.

The Koreans and Japanese during the Chinese Tang dynasty (618–907 AD) looked to the Chinese capital of Chang’an as the hub of civilization and emulated its central bureaucracy as the model of governance. The Japanese sent frequent embassies to China in this period, although they halted these trips in 894 when the Tang seemed on the brink of collapse. After the devastating An Shi Rebellion from 755 to 763, the Tang dynasty was in no position to reconquer Central Asia and the Tarim Basin. After several conflicts with the Tibetan Empire spanning several different decades, the Tang finally made a truce and signed a peace treaty with them in 841.

In the 11th century during the Song dynasty (960–1279), there were shrewd ambassadors such as Shen Kuo and Su Song who achieved diplomatic success with the Liao dynasty, the often hostile Khitan neighbor to the north. Both diplomats secured the rightful borders of the Song dynasty through knowledge of cartography and dredging up old court archives. There was also a triad of warfare and diplomacy between these two states and the Tangut Western Xia dynasty to the northwest of Song China (centered in modern-day Shaanxi). After warring with the Lý dynasty of Vietnam from 1075 to 1077, Song and Lý made a peace agreement in 1082 to exchange the respective lands they had captured from each other during the war.

Long before the Tang and Song dynasties, the Chinese had sent envoys into Central Asia, India, and Persia, starting with Zhang Qian in the 2nd century BC. Another notable event in Chinese diplomacy was the Chinese embassy mission of Zhou Daguan to the Khmer Empire of Cambodia in the 13th century. Chinese diplomacy was a necessity in the distinctive period of Chinese exploration. Since the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD), the Chinese also became heavily invested in sending diplomatic envoys abroad on maritime missions into the Indian Ocean, to India, Persia, Arabia, East Africa, and Egypt. Chinese maritime activity was increased dramatically during the commercialized period of the Song dynasty, with new nautical technologies, many more private ship owners, and an increasing amount of economic investors in overseas ventures.

During the Mongol Empire (1206–1294) the Mongols created something similar to today’s diplomatic passport called paiza. The paiza were in three different types (golden, silver, and copper) depending on the envoy’s level of importance. With the paiza, there came authority that the envoy can ask for food, transport, place to stay from any city, village, or clan within the empire with no difficulties.

In the 17th century, the Qing dynasty concluded a series of treaties with Czarist Russia, beginning with the Treaty of Nerchinsk in 1689. This was followed up by the Aigun Treaty and the Convention of Peking in the mid-19th century.

As European power spread around the world in the 18th and 19th centuries so too did its diplomatic model, and Asian countries adopted syncretic or European diplomatic systems. For example, as part of diplomatic negotiations with the West over control of land and trade in China in the 19th century after the First Opium War, the Chinese diplomat Qiying gifted intimate portraits of himself to representatives from Italy, England, the United States, and France.[9]

Ancient India[edit]

India’s diplomatic personnel

Ancient India, with its kingdoms and dynasties, had a long tradition of diplomacy. The oldest treatise on statecraft and diplomacy, Arthashastra, is attributed to Kautilya (also known as Chanakya), who was the principal adviser to Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Maurya dynasty who ruled in the 3rd century BC. It incorporates a theory of diplomacy, of how in a situation of mutually contesting kingdoms, the wise king builds alliances and tries to checkmate his adversaries. The envoys sent at the time to the courts of other kingdoms tended to reside for extended periods of time, and Arthashastra contains advice on the deportment of the envoy, including the trenchant suggestion that «he should sleep alone». The highest morality for the king is that his kingdom should prosper.[10]

New analysis of Arthashastra brings out that hidden inside the 6,000 aphorisms of prose (sutras) are pioneering political and philosophic concepts. It covers the internal and external spheres of statecraft, politics and administration. The normative element is the political unification of the geopolitical and cultural subcontinent of India. This work comprehensively studies state governance; it urges non-injury to living creatures, or malice, as well as compassion, forbearance, truthfulness, and uprightness. It presents a rajmandala (grouping of states), a model that places the home state surrounded by twelve competing entities which can either be potential adversaries or latent allies, depending on how relations with them are managed. This is the essence of realpolitik. It also offers four upaya (policy approaches): conciliation, gifts, rupture or dissent, and force. It counsels that war is the last resort, as its outcome is always uncertain. This is the first expression of the raison d’etat doctrine, as also of humanitarian law; that conquered people must be treated fairly, and assimilated.

Europe[edit]

Byzantine Empire[edit]

The key challenge to the Byzantine Empire was to maintain a set of relations between itself and its sundry neighbors, including the Georgians, Iberians, the Germanic peoples, the Bulgars, the Slavs, the Armenians, the Huns, the Avars, the Franks, the Lombards, and the Arabs, that embodied and so maintained its imperial status. All these neighbors lacked a key resource that Byzantium had taken over from Rome, namely a formalized legal structure. When they set about forging formal political institutions, they were dependent on the empire. Whereas classical writers are fond of making a sharp distinction between peace and war, for the Byzantines diplomacy was a form of war by other means. With a regular army of 120,000-140,000 men after the losses of the 7th century,[11][12] the empire’s security depended on activist diplomacy.

Byzantium’s «Bureau of Barbarians» was the first foreign intelligence agency, gathering information on the empire’s rivals from every imaginable source.[13] While on the surface a protocol office—its main duty was to ensure foreign envoys were properly cared for and received sufficient state funds for their maintenance, and it kept all the official translators—it clearly had a security function as well. On Strategy, from the 6th century, offers advice about foreign embassies: «[Envoys] who are sent to us should be received honourably and generously, for everyone holds envoys in high esteem. Their attendants, however, should be kept under surveillance to keep them from obtaining any information by asking questions of our people.»[14]

Medieval and early modern Europe[edit]

In Europe, early modern diplomacy’s origins are often traced to the states of Northern Italy in the early Renaissance, with the first embassies being established in the 13th century.[15] Milan played a leading role, especially under Francesco Sforza who established permanent embassies to the other city states of Northern Italy. Tuscany and Venice were also flourishing centres of diplomacy from the 14th century onwards. It was in the Italian Peninsula that many of the traditions of modern diplomacy began, such as the presentation of an ambassador’s credentials to the head of state.

Modernity[edit]

From Italy, the practice was spread across Europe. Milan was the first to send a representative to the court of France in 1455. However, Milan refused to host French representatives, fearing they would conduct espionage and intervene in its internal affairs. As foreign powers such as France and Spain became increasingly involved in Italian politics the need to accept emissaries was recognized. Soon the major European powers were exchanging representatives. Spain was the first to send a permanent representative; it appointed an ambassador to the Court of St. James’s (i.e. England) in 1487. By the late 16th century, permanent missions became customary. The Holy Roman Emperor, however, did not regularly send permanent legates, as they could not represent the interests of all the German princes (who were in theory all subordinate to the Emperor, but in practice each independent).

Between 1500 and 1700 rules of modern diplomacy were further developed.[16] French replaced Latin from about 1715. The top rank of representatives was an ambassador. At that time an ambassador was a nobleman, the rank of the noble assigned varying with the prestige of the country he was delegated to. Strict standards developed for ambassadors, requiring they have large residences, host lavish parties, and play an important role in the court life of their host nation. In Rome, the most prized posting for a Catholic ambassador, the French and Spanish representatives would have a retinue of up to a hundred. Even in smaller posts, ambassadors were very expensive. Smaller states would send and receive envoys, who were a rung below ambassador. Somewhere between the two was the position of minister plenipotentiary.

Diplomacy was a complex affair, even more so than now. The ambassadors from each state were ranked by complex levels of precedence that were much disputed. States were normally ranked by the title of the sovereign; for Catholic nations the emissary from the Vatican was paramount, then those from the kingdoms, then those from duchies and principalities. Representatives from republics were ranked the lowest (which often angered the leaders of the numerous German, Scandinavian and Italian republics). Determining precedence between two kingdoms depended on a number of factors that often fluctuated, leading to near-constant squabbling.

Ambassadors were often nobles with little foreign experience and no expectation of a career in diplomacy. They were supported by their embassy staff. These professionals would be sent on longer assignments and would be far more knowledgeable than the higher-ranking officials about the host country. Embassy staff would include a wide range of employees, including some dedicated to espionage. The need for skilled individuals to staff embassies was met by the graduates of universities, and this led to a great increase in the study of international law, French, and history at universities throughout Europe.

At the same time, permanent foreign ministries began to be established in almost all European states to coordinate embassies and their staffs. These ministries were still far from their modern form, and many of them had extraneous internal responsibilities. Britain had two departments with frequently overlapping powers until 1782. They were also far smaller than they are currently. France, which boasted the largest foreign affairs department, had only some 70 full-time employees in the 1780s.

The elements of modern diplomacy slowly spread to Eastern Europe and Russia, arriving by the early 18th century. The entire edifice would be greatly disrupted by the French Revolution and the subsequent years of warfare. The revolution would see commoners take over the diplomacy of the French state, and of those conquered by revolutionary armies. Ranks of precedence were abolished. Napoleon also refused to acknowledge diplomatic immunity, imprisoning several British diplomats accused of scheming against France.

After the fall of Napoleon, the Congress of Vienna of 1815 established an international system of diplomatic rank. Disputes on precedence among nations (and therefore the appropriate diplomatic ranks used) were first addressed at the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1818, but persisted for over a century until after World War II, when the rank of ambassador became the norm. In between that time, figures such as the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck were renowned for international diplomacy.

Diplomats and historians often refer to a foreign ministry by its address: the Ballhausplatz (Vienna), the Quai d’Orsay (Paris), the Wilhelmstrasse (Berlin); Itamaraty (Brasília); and Foggy Bottom (Washington, D.C.). For the Russian foreign ministry, it was the Choristers’ Bridge (Saint Petersburg) until 1917, while «Consulta» referred to the Italian foreign ministry, based in the Palazzo della Consulta (Rome) from 1874 to 1922.[18][19]

Immunity[edit]

The sanctity of diplomats has long been observed, underpinning the modern concept of diplomatic immunity. While there have been a number of cases where diplomats have been killed, this is normally viewed as a great breach of honour. Genghis Khan and the Mongols were well known for strongly insisting on the rights of diplomats, and they would often wreak horrific vengeance against any state that violated these rights.

Diplomatic rights were established in the mid-17th century in Europe and have spread throughout the world. These rights were formalized by the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which protects diplomats from being persecuted or prosecuted while on a diplomatic mission. If a diplomat does commit a serious crime while in a host country he or she may be declared as persona non grata (unwanted person). Such diplomats are then often tried for the crime in their homeland.

Diplomatic communications are also viewed as sacrosanct, and diplomats have long been allowed to carry documents across borders without being searched. The mechanism for this is the so-called «diplomatic bag» (or, in some countries, the «diplomatic pouch»). While radio and digital communication have become more standard for embassies, diplomatic pouches are still quite common and some countries, including the United States, declare entire shipping containers as diplomatic pouches to bring sensitive material (often building supplies) into a country.[20]

In times of hostility, diplomats are often withdrawn for reasons of personal safety, as well as in some cases when the host country is friendly but there is a perceived threat from internal dissidents. Ambassadors and other diplomats are sometimes recalled temporarily by their home countries as a way to express displeasure with the host country. In both cases, lower-level employees still remain to actually do the business of diplomacy.

Espionage[edit]

Diplomacy is closely linked to espionage or gathering of intelligence. Embassies are bases for both diplomats and spies, and some diplomats are essentially openly acknowledged spies. For instance, the job of military attachés includes learning as much as possible about the military of the nation to which they are assigned. They do not try to hide this role and, as such, are only invited to events allowed by their hosts, such as military parades or air shows. There are also deep-cover spies operating in many embassies. These individuals are given fake positions at the embassy, but their main task is to illegally gather intelligence, usually by coordinating spy rings of locals or other spies. For the most part, spies operating out of embassies gather little intelligence themselves and their identities tend to be known by the opposition. If discovered, these diplomats can be expelled from an embassy, but for the most part counter-intelligence agencies prefer to keep these agents in situ and under close monitoring.

The information gathered by spies plays an increasingly important role in diplomacy. Arms-control treaties would be impossible without the power of reconnaissance satellites and agents to monitor compliance. Information gleaned from espionage is useful in almost all forms of diplomacy, everything from trade agreements to border disputes.

Resolution of problems[edit]

Various processes and procedures have evolved over time for handling diplomatic issues and disputes.

Arbitration and mediation[edit]

Nations sometimes resort to international arbitration when faced with a specific question or point of contention in need of resolution. For most of history, there were no official or formal procedures for such proceedings. They were generally accepted to abide by general principles and protocols related to international law and justice.[citation needed]

Sometimes these took the form of formal arbitrations and mediations. In such cases a commission of diplomats might be convened to hear all sides of an issue, and to come some sort of ruling based on international law.

In the modern era, much of this work is often carried out by the International Court of Justice at The Hague, or other formal commissions, agencies and tribunals, working under the United Nations. Below are some examples.

  • The Hay–Herbert Treaty was enacted after the United States and Britain submitted a dispute to international mediation about the Canada–U.S. border.

Conferences[edit]

Other times, resolutions were sought through the convening of international conferences. In such cases, there are fewer ground rules, and fewer formal applications of international law. However, participants are expected to guide themselves through principles of international fairness, logic, and protocol.[21]

Some examples of these formal conferences are:

  • Congress of Vienna (1815) – After Napoleon was defeated, there were many diplomatic questions waiting to be resolved. This included the shape of the political map of Europe, the disposition of political and nationalist claims of various ethnic groups and nationalities wishing to have some political autonomy, and the resolution of various claims by various European powers.
  • The Congress of Berlin (13 June – 13 July 1878) was a meeting of the European Great Powers’ and the Ottoman Empire’s leading statesmen in Berlin in 1878. In the wake of the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–78, the meeting’s aim was to reorganize conditions in the Balkans.

Negotiations[edit]

Sometimes nations convene official negotiation processes to settle a specific dispute or specific issue between several nations which are parties to a dispute. These are similar to the conferences mentioned above, as there are technically no established rules or procedures. However, there are general principles and precedents which help define a course for such proceedings.[21]

Some examples are:

  • Camp David Accords – Convened in 1978 by President Jimmy Carter of the United States, at Camp David to reach an agreement between Prime Minister Mechaem Begin of Israel and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt. After weeks of negotiation, agreement was reached and the accords were signed, later leading directly to the Egypt–Israel peace treaty of 1979.
  • Treaty of Portsmouth – Enacted after President Theodore Roosevelt brought together the delegates from Russia and Japan, to settle the Russo-Japanese War. Roosevelt’s personal intervention settled the conflict, and caused him to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Small states[edit]

Czech (originally Czechoslovak) Embassy in Berlin

Small state diplomacy is receiving increasing attention in diplomatic studies and international relations. Small states are particularly affected by developments which are determined beyond their borders such as climate change, water security and shifts in the global economy. Diplomacy is the main vehicle by which small states are able to ensure that their goals are addressed in the global arena. These factors mean that small states have strong incentives to support international cooperation. But with limited resources at their disposal, conducting effective diplomacy poses unique challenges for small states.[22][23]

Types[edit]

There are a variety of diplomatic categories and diplomatic strategies employed by organizations and governments to achieve their aims, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Appeasement[edit]

Appeasement is a policy of making concessions to an aggressor in order to avoid confrontation; because of its failure to prevent World War 2, appeasement is not considered a legitimate tool of modern diplomacy.[citation needed]

Counterinsurgency[edit]

Counterinsurgency diplomacy, or expeditionary diplomacy, developed by diplomats deployed to civil-military stabilization efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, employs diplomats at tactical and operational levels, outside traditional embassy environments and often alongside military or peacekeeping forces. Counterinsurgency diplomacy may provide political environment advice to local commanders, interact with local leaders, and facilitate the governance efforts, functions and reach of a host government.[24]

Debt-trap[edit]

Debt-trap diplomacy is carried out in bilateral relations, with a powerful lending country seeking to saddle a borrowing nation with enormous debt so as to increase its leverage over it.[citation needed]

Economic[edit]

Economic diplomacy is the use of aid or other types of economic policy as a means to achieve a diplomatic agenda.[citation needed]

Gunboat[edit]

Gunboat diplomacy is the use of conspicuous displays of military power as a means of intimidation to influence others. Since it is inherently coercive, it typically lies near the edge between peace and war, and is usually exercised in the context of imperialism or hegemony.[25] An emblematic example is the Don Pacifico Incident in 1850, in which the United Kingdom blockaded the Greek port of Piraeus in retaliation for the harming of a British subject and the failure of Greek government to provide him with restitution.

Hostage[edit]

Hostage diplomacy is the taking of hostages by a state or quasi-state actor to fulfill diplomatic goals. It is a type of asymmetric diplomacy often used by weaker states to pressure stronger ones. Hostage diplomacy has been practiced from prehistory to the present day.[26][27]

Humanitarian[edit]

Humanitarian diplomacy is the set of activities undertaken by various actors with governments, (para)military organizations, or personalities in order to intervene or push intervention in a context where humanity is in danger.[28] According to Antonio De Lauri, a research professor at the Chr. Michelsen Institute, humanitarian diplomacy «ranges from negotiating the presence of humanitarian organizations to negotiating access to civilian populations in need of protection. It involves monitoring assistance programs, promoting respect for international law, and engaging in advocacy in support of broader humanitarian goals».[29]

Migration[edit]

Migration diplomacy is the use of human migration in a state’s foreign policy.[30] American political scientist Myron Weiner argued that international migration is intricately linked to states’ international relations.[31] More recently, Kelly Greenhill has identified how states may employ ‘weapons of mass migration’ against target states in their foreign relations.[32] Migration diplomacy may involve the use of refugees,[33][34] labor migrants,[35][36] or diasporas[37] in states’ pursuit of international diplomacy goals. In the context of the Syrian Civil War, Syrian refugees were used in the context of Jordanian, Lebanese, and Turkish migration diplomacy.[38][27]

Nuclear[edit]

Nuclear diplomacy is the area of diplomacy related to preventing nuclear proliferation and nuclear war. One of the most well-known (and most controversial) philosophies of nuclear diplomacy is mutually assured destruction (MAD).[39][40]

Preventive[edit]

Preventive diplomacy is carried out through quiet means (as opposed to «gun-boat diplomacy», which is backed by the threat of force, or «public diplomacy», which makes use of publicity). It is also understood that circumstances may exist in which the consensual use of force (notably preventive deployment) might be welcomed by parties to a conflict with a view to achieving the stabilization necessary for diplomacy and related political processes to proceed. This is to be distinguished from the use of «persuasion», «suasion», «influence», and other non-coercive approaches explored below.

Preventive diplomacy, in the view of one expert, is «the range of peaceful dispute resolution approaches mentioned in Article 33 of the UN Charter [on the pacific settlement of disputes] when applied before a dispute crosses the threshold to armed conflict.» It may take many forms, with different means employed. One form of diplomacy which may be brought to bear to prevent violent conflict (or to prevent its recurrence) is «quiet diplomacy». When one speaks of the practice of quiet diplomacy, definitional clarity is largely absent. In part this is due to a lack of any comprehensive assessment of exactly what types of engagement qualify, and how such engagements are pursued. On the one hand, a survey of the literature reveals no precise understanding or terminology on the subject. On the other hand, concepts are neither clear nor discrete in practice. Multiple definitions are often invoked simultaneously by theorists, and the activities themselves often mix and overlap in practice.[41]

Public[edit]

Public diplomacy is the exercise of influence through communication with the general public in another nation, rather than attempting to influence the nation’s government directly. This communication may take the form of propaganda, or more benign forms such as citizen diplomacy, individual interactions between average citizens of two or more nations. Technological advances and the advent of digital diplomacy now allow instant communication with foreign citizens, and methods such as Facebook diplomacy and Twitter diplomacy are increasingly used by world leaders and diplomats.[23]

Quiet[edit]

Also known as the «softly softly» approach, quiet diplomacy is the attempt to influence the behaviour of another state through secret negotiations or by refraining from taking a specific action.[42] This method is often employed by states that lack alternative means to influence the target government, or that seek to avoid certain outcomes. For example, South Africa is described as engaging in quiet diplomacy with neighboring Zimbabwe to avoid appearing as «bullying» and subsequently engendering a hostile response. This approach can also be employed by more powerful states: U.S. President George W. Bush’s nonattendance at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development constituted a form of quiet diplomacy, in response to the lack of UN support for the U.S.’ proposed invasion of Iraq.

Science[edit]

Science diplomacy[43] is the use of scientific collaborations among nations to address common problems and to build constructive international partnerships. Many experts and groups use a variety of definitions for science diplomacy. However, science diplomacy has become an umbrella term to describe a number of formal or informal technical, research-based, academic or engineering exchanges, with notable examples including CERN, the International Space Station, and ITER.

Soft power[edit]

Soft power, sometimes called «hearts and minds diplomacy», as defined by Joseph Nye, is the cultivation of relationships, respect, or even admiration from others in order to gain influence, as opposed to more coercive approaches. Often and incorrectly confused with the practice of official diplomacy, soft power refers to non-state, culturally attractive factors that may predispose people to sympathize with a foreign culture based on affinity for its products, such as the American entertainment industry, schools and music.[44] A country’s soft power can come from three resources: its culture (in places where it is attractive to others), its political values (when it lives up to them at home and abroad), and its foreign policies (when they are seen as legitimate and having moral authority).

City[edit]

City diplomacy refers to cities using institutions and processes to engage relations with other actors on an international stage, with the aim of representing themselves and their interests to one another.[45] Especially today, city administrations and networks are increasingly active in the realm of transnationally relevant questions and issues ranging from the climate crisis to migration and the promotion of smart technology. As such, cities and city networks may seek to address and re-shape national and sub-national conflicts, support their peers in the achievement of sustainable development, and achieve certain levels of regional integration and solidarity among each other.[46] Whereas diplomacy pursued by nation-states is often said to be disconnected from the citizenry, city diplomacy fundamentally rests on its proximity to the latter and seeks to leverage these ties «to build international strategies integrating both their values and interests.»[47]

Training[edit]

Most countries provide professional training for their diplomats and maintain institutions specifically for that purpose. Private institutions also exist as do establishments associated with organisations like the European Union and the United Nations.

See also[edit]

  • Citizen diplomacy
  • Commercial diplomacy
  • Cowboy diplomacy
  • Cultural diplomacy
  • Digital diplomacy
  • Diplomacy Monitor
  • Diplomatic capital
  • Diplomatic flag
  • Diplomatic gift
  • Diplomatic law
  • Diplomatic passport
  • Diplomatic rank
  • Diplomatic recognition
  • Energy diplomacy
  • Foreign minister
  • Foreign policy analysis
  • Foreign policy doctrine
  • List of peace activists
  • Paradiplomacy
  • Peace makers
  • Peacemaking
  • Preventive diplomacy
  • Protocol (diplomacy)
  • Shuttle diplomacy
  • Track II diplomacy

Notes and references[edit]

  1. ^ Trager, Robert F. (2016). «The Diplomacy of War and Peace». Annual Review of Political Science. 19 (1): 205–228. doi:10.1146/annurev-polisci-051214-100534. ISSN 1094-2939.
  2. ^ Ronald Peter Barston, Modern Diplomacy, Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1
  3. ^ «The Diplomats» in Jay Winter, ed. The Cambridge History of the First World War: Volume II: The State (2014) vol 2 p 68.
  4. ^ «diplomacy | Nature, Purpose, History, & Practice». Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  5. ^ Leira, Halvard. “A Conceptual History of Diplomacy,” in The SAGE Handbook of Diplomacy, ed. Costas M. Constantinou, Pauline Kerr, and Paul Sharp (London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2016).
  6. ^ Stagnell, Alexander (2020). Diplomacy and Ideology: From the French Revolution to the Digital Age. London: Routledge. ISBN 9780367897796.
  7. ^ a b c Goffman, Daniel. «Negotiating with the Renaissance State: The Ottoman Empire and the New Diplomacy.» In The Early Modern Ottomans: Remapping the Empire. Eds. Virginia Aksan and Daniel Goffman. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 61–74.
  8. ^ Loewe, Michael; Shaughnessy, Edward L., eds. (1999). The Cambridge History of Ancient China: from the origins of civilization to 221 B.C. Cambridge University Press. p. 587. ISBN 978-0-521-47030-8. Retrieved 1 September 2011. The writings that preserve information about the political history of the [Warring States] period […] define a set of idealized roles that constitute the Warring States polity: the monarch, the reforming minister, the military commander, the persuader/diplomat, and the scholar.
  9. ^ Koon, Yeewan (2012). «The Face of Diplomacy in 19th-Century China: Qiying’s Portrait Gifts». In Johnson, Kendall (ed.). Narratives of Free Trade: The Commercial Cultures of Early US-China Relations. Hong Kong University Press. pp. 131–148. ISBN 978-9888083541.
  10. ^ See Cristian Violatti, «Arthashastra» (2014)
  11. ^ Gabriel, Richard A. (2002). The Great Armies of Antiquity. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 281. ISBN 978-0-275-97809-9.
  12. ^ Haldon, John (1999). Warfare, State and Society in the Byzantine World, 565–1204. London: UCL Press. p. 101. ISBN 1-85728-495-X.
  13. ^ Antonucci, Michael (February 1993). «War by Other Means: The Legacy of Byzantium». History Today. 43 (2): 11–13.
  14. ^ Dennis 1985, Anonymous, Byzantine Military Treatise on Strategy, para. 43, p. 125
  15. ^ Historical discontinuity between diplomatic practice of the ancient and medieval worlds and modern diplomacy has been questioned; see, for instance, Pierre Chaplais, English Diplomatic Practice in the Middle Ages (Continuum International Publishing Group, 2003), p. 1 online.
  16. ^ Gaston Zeller, «French diplomacy and foreign policy in their European setting.» in The New Cambridge Modern History (1961) 5:198-221
  17. ^ (in French) François Modoux, «La Suisse engagera 300 millions pour rénover le Palais des Nations», Le Temps, Friday 28 June 2013, page 9.
  18. ^ David Std Stevenson, «The Diplomats» in Jay Winter, ed. The Cambridge History of the First World War: Volume II: The State (2014) vol 2 p 68.
  19. ^ Apresentação Itamaraty, (in Portuguese) Retrieved 8 November 2021
  20. ^ «Diplomatic Pouches». www.state.gov. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  21. ^ a b Fahim Younus, Mohammad (2010). Diplomacy, The Only Legitimate Way of Conducting International Relations. Lulu. pp. 45–47. ISBN 9781446697061.
  22. ^ Corgan, Michael (12 August 2008). «Small State Diplomacy». e-International Relations.
  23. ^ a b Tutt, A. (2013), E-Diplomacy Capacities within the EU-27: Small States and Social Media. www.grin.com. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  24. ^ Green, Dan. «Counterinsurgency Diplomacy: Political Advisors at the Operational and Tactical levels», Military Review, May–June 2007. Archived 14 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ^ Rowlands, K. (2012). «Decided Preponderance at Sea»: Naval Diplomacy in Strategic Thought. Naval War College Review, 65(4), 5–5.
  26. ^ Mark, Chi-Kwan (2009). «Hostage Diplomacy: Britain, China, and the Politics of Negotiation, 1967–1969». Diplomacy & Statecraft. 20 (3): 473–493. doi:10.1080/09592290903293803. S2CID 154979218.
  27. ^ a b Rezaian, Jason. «Iran’s hostage factory». The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  28. ^ Rousseau, Elise; Sommo Pende, Achille (2020). Humanitarian diplomacy. Palgrave Macmillan.
  29. ^ Lauri, Antonio De (2018). «Humanitarian Diplomacy: A New Research Agenda». Cmi Brief. 2018:4.
  30. ^ Tsourapas, Gerasimos (2017). «Migration diplomacy in the Global South: cooperation, coercion and issue linkage in Gaddafi’s Libya». Third World Quarterly. 38 (10): 2367–2385. doi:10.1080/01436597.2017.1350102. S2CID 158073635.
  31. ^ Weiner, Myron (1985). «On International Migration and International Relations». Population and Development Review. 11 (3): 441–455. doi:10.2307/1973247. JSTOR 1973247.
  32. ^ Greenhill, Kelly M. (2010). Weapons of mass migration : forced displacement, coercion, and foreign policy. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801458668. OCLC 726824355.
  33. ^ Teitelbaum, Michael S. (1984). «Immigration, refugees, and foreign policy». International Organization. 38 (3): 429–450. doi:10.1017/S0020818300026801. ISSN 1531-5088. PMID 12266111. S2CID 2601576.
  34. ^ Greenhill, Kelly M. (September 2002). «Engineered Migration and the Use of Refugees as Political Weapons: A Case Study of the 1994 Cuban Balseros Crisis». International Migration. 40 (4): 39–74. doi:10.1111/1468-2435.00205. ISSN 0020-7985.
  35. ^ Tsourapas, Gerasimos (June 2018). «Labor Migrants as Political Leverage: Migration Interdependence and Coercion in the Mediterranean». International Studies Quarterly. 62 (2): 383–395. doi:10.1093/isq/sqx088.
  36. ^ Norman, Kelsey P. (6 January 2020). «Migration Diplomacy and Policy Liberalization in Morocco and Turkey». International Migration Review. 54 (4): 1158–1183. doi:10.1177/0197918319895271. ISSN 0197-9183. S2CID 212810467.
  37. ^ Shain, Yossi (1994). «Ethnic Diasporas and U.S. Foreign Policy». Political Science Quarterly. 109 (5): 811–841. doi:10.2307/2152533. JSTOR 2152533.
  38. ^ Tsourapas, Gerasimos (2019). «The Syrian Refugee Crisis and Foreign Policy Decision-Making in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey». Journal of Global Security Studies. 4 (4): 464–481. doi:10.1093/jogss/ogz016.
  39. ^ Mutual Assured Destruction; Col. Alan J. Parrington, USAF, Mutually Assured Destruction Revisited, Strategic Doctrine in Question Archived 2015-06-20 at the Wayback Machine, Airpower Journal, Winter 1997.
  40. ^ Jervis, Robert (2002). «Mutual Assured Destruction». Foreign Policy (133): 40–42. doi:10.2307/3183553. ISSN 0015-7228. JSTOR 3183553.
  41. ^ Collins, Craig; Packer, John (2006). «Options and Techniques for Quiet Diplomacy» (PDF). Edita Stockholm: 10.
  42. ^ Kuseni Dlamini, «Is Quiet Diplomacy an Effective Conflict Resolution Strategy?», SA Yearbook of International Affairs, 2002/03, pp. 171–72.
  43. ^ «Diplomacy». www.diplomacy.edu. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  44. ^ Nye, Joseph (2006). «Think Again: Soft Power». Foreign Policy. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  45. ^ «City Diplomacy: the expanding role of City diplomacy in International Politics» (PDF).
  46. ^ Musch, A. (2008). City diplomacy : the role of local government in conflict prevention, peace-building, post-conflict reconstruction. ISBN 978-90-804757-4-8. OCLC 1012533034.
  47. ^ Kihlgren Grandi, Lorenzo (2020). City Diplomacy. ISBN 978-3-030-60717-3. OCLC 1226702196.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Black, Jeremy. A History of Diplomacy (U. of Chicago Press, 2010) ISBN 978-1-86189-696-4
  • Berridge, G. R. Diplomacy: Theory & Practice, 3rd edition, Palgrave, Basingstoke, 2005, ISBN 9783030859305
  • Francois de Callieres,The Art of Diplomacy(ed. Karl W Schweizer and M.Keens-Soper)1983
  • Cunningham, George. Journey to Become a Diplomat: With a Guide to Careers in World Affairs FPA Global Vision Books 2005, ISBN 0-87124-212-5
  • Dennis, George T. (1985). Three Byzantine Military Treatises (Volume 9). Washington, District of Columbia: Dumbarton Oaks, Research Library and Collection. ISBN 9780884021407.
  • Dorman, Shawn, ed. Inside a U.S. Embassy: How the Foreign Service Works for America by American Foreign Service Association, Second edition February 2003, ISBN 0-9649488-2-6
  • Hayne, M. B. The French Foreign Office and the Origins of the First World War, 1898–1914 (1993);
  • Hill, Henry Bertram. The Political Testament of Cardinal Richeleiu: The Significant Chapters and Supporting Selections (1964)
  • Holmes, Marcus. 2018. Face-to-Face Diplomacy: Social Neuroscience and International Relations. Cambridge University Press.
  • Jackson, Peter «Tradition and adaptation: the social universe of the French Foreign Ministry in the era of the First World War», French History, 24 (2010), 164–96;
  • Kissinger, Henry. A World Restored: Metternich, Castlereagh, and the Problem of Peace: 1812–1822 (1999)
  • Henry Kissinger. Diplomacy (1999)
  • Jovan Kurbalija and Valentin Katrandjiev, Multistakeholder Diplomacy: Challenges and Opportunities. ISBN 978-99932-53-16-7
  • Kurbalija J. and Slavik H. eds. Language and Diplomacy DiploProjects, Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies, Malta, 2001, ISBN 99909-55-15-8; papers by experts.
  • Macalister-Smith Peter, Schwietzke, Joachim, ed., Diplomatic Conferences and Congresses. A Bibliographical Compendium of State Practice 1642 to 1919 W. Neugebauer, Graz, Feldkirch 2017 ISBN 978-3-85376-325-4
  • MacMillan, Margaret. Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World (2003).
  • Garrett Mattingly, Renaissance Diplomacy Dover Publications, ISBN 978-0-486-25570-5
  • Maulucci Jr., Thomas W. Adenauer’s Foreign Office: West German Diplomacy in the Shadow of the Third Reich (2012).
  • Nicolson, Sir Harold George. Diplomacy (1988)
  • Nicolson, Sir Harold George. The Congress of Vienna: A Study in Allied Unity: 1812–1822 (2001)
  • Nicolson, Sir Harold George. The Evolution of Diplomatic Method (1977)
  • Otte, Thomas G. The Foreign Office Mind: The Making of British Foreign Policy, 1865–1914 (2011).
  • Phillips, Walter Alison (1911). «Diplomacy» . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). pp. 294–300.
  • Rana, Kishan S. and Jovan Kurbalija, eds. Foreign Ministries: Managing Diplomatic Networks and Optimizing Value DiploFoundation, 2007, ISBN 978-99932-53-16-7
  • Rana, Kishan S. The 21st Century Ambassador: Plenipotentiary to Chief Executive DiploFoundation,2004, ISBN 99909-55-18-2
  • Rivère de Carles, Nathalie, and Duclos, Nathalie, Forms of Diplomacy (16th–21st c.), Toulouse, Presses Universitaires du Midi, 2015. ISBN 978-2-8107-0424-8. A study of alternative forms of diplomacy and essays on cultural diplomacy by Lucien Bély et al.
  • Ernest Satow. A Guide to Diplomatic Practice by Longmans, Green & Co. London & New York, 1917. A standard reference work used in many embassies across the world (though not British ones). In its fifth edition (1998) ISBN 0-582-50109-1
  • Seldon, Anthony. Foreign Office (2000), history of the British ministry and its headquarters building.
  • Steiner, Zara S. The Foreign Office and Foreign Policy, 1898–1914 (1969) on Britain.
  • Stevenson, David. «The Diplomats» in Jay Winter, ed. The Cambridge History of the First World War: Volume II: The State (2014) vol 2 ch 3, pp 66–90.
  • Trager, R. (2017). Diplomacy: Communication and the Origins of International Order. Cambridge University Press.
  • Fredrik Wesslau, The Political Adviser’s Handbook (2013), ISBN 978-91-979688-7-4
  • Wicquefort, Abraham de. The Embassador and His Functions (2010)

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Diplomacy.

Wikiquote has quotations related to Diplomacy.

  • Foreign Affairs Manual and associated Handbooks—the Foreign Affairs Manual (and related handbooks) of the United States Department of State
  • Frontline Diplomacy: The Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training – American diplomats describe their careers on the American Memory website at the Library of Congress

Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia Britannica

  • Entertainment & Pop Culture
  • Geography & Travel
  • Health & Medicine
  • Lifestyles & Social Issues
  • Literature
  • Philosophy & Religion
  • Politics, Law & Government
  • Science
  • Sports & Recreation
  • Technology
  • Visual Arts
  • World History
  • On This Day in History
  • Quizzes
  • Podcasts
  • Dictionary
  • Biographies
  • Summaries
  • Top Questions
  • Infographics
  • Demystified
  • Lists
  • #WTFact
  • Companions
  • Image Galleries
  • Spotlight
  • The Forum
  • One Good Fact
  • Entertainment & Pop Culture
  • Geography & Travel
  • Health & Medicine
  • Lifestyles & Social Issues
  • Literature
  • Philosophy & Religion
  • Politics, Law & Government
  • Science
  • Sports & Recreation
  • Technology
  • Visual Arts
  • World History
  • Britannica Explains
    In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.
  • Britannica Classics
    Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.
  • Demystified Videos
    In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.
  • #WTFact Videos
    In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.
  • This Time in History
    In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.
  • Student Portal
    Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.
  • COVID-19 Portal
    While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.
  • 100 Women
    Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.
  • Saving Earth
    Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century. Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them!
  • SpaceNext50
    Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!

Diplomacy stands accepted as the mainstay and the core process of relations among nations. The process of establishment of relations among nations begins effectively by the establishment of diplomatic relations among nations. A new state becomes a full and active member of the family of nations only after it gets recognition by existing states.

The common way in which this recognition is granted is the announcement of the decision to establish diplomatic relations. Thereafter diplomats are exchanged and relations among nations get underway. As such diplomacy is the means through which nations begin to develop their relations.

“Diplomacy is the management of international relations by means of negotiations; the method by which these relations are adjusted and managed by ambassadors and envoys the business or art of the diplomats” —Harold Nicholson.

“Diplomacy is the inevitable outcome of the coexistence of separate political units (states) with any degree of contact.” —Frankel

Diplomacy is a basic means by which a nation seeks to secure the goals of its national interest. Foreign policy always travels on the shoulders of diplomacy and gets operationalized in other states.

What is Diplomacy?

The term Diplomacy is used in a variety of ways. Sometimes it is described as “the art of telling lies on behalf of the nation”, or “as instrument for employing deceit and duplicity in international relations.”

Stalin once observed:

“A diplomat’s words must have no relation to action—otherwise what kind of diplomacy is it? Good words are a mask for concealment of bad deeds. Sincere diplomacy is no more possible than dry water or wooden iron.” Another statesman has also observed, “When a diplomat says yes, he means perhaps; when he says perhaps, it means no; and when he says no, he is not a diplomat.”

Such general characterizations of diplomacy have been quite popular but these do not reflect the true nature of diplomacy. No doubt, diplomacy at times attempts to cloak the real goals of national interests with several ideational principles or morality or rules of international behaviour, yet it cannot be described as the art of deceit and concealment. Diplomacy is, in fact, the art of negotiations and conduct of foreign relations. It is the key instrument for implementing the foreign policy of the nation.

Definitions:

(1) “Diplomacy is the process of representation and negotiation by which states customarily deal with one another in times of peace.” —Padelford and Lincoln

(2) “Diplomacy is the application of intelligence and tact to the conduct of official relations between governments of independent states.” —Sir Ernest Satow

(3) “Diplomacy is “the art of forwarding one’s interests in relation to other countries.” —K.M. Panikar

(4) “Diplomacy is the management of international relations by means of negotiations; the method by which these relations are adjusted and managed by ambassadors and envoys the business or art of the diplomats.” —Harold Nicholson

(5) “Diplomacy is the promotion of the national interest by peaceful means.”—Hans J. Morgenthau

On the basis of these definitions, it can be said that, Diplomacy is the mechanism for the promotion of national interest of the nation that it represents. It is done by means of negotiations and conduct of relations with other nations. Diplomacy is always guided and conditioned by the foreign policy of the nation that it represents.

Nature of Diplomacy:

(1) Diplomacy is not Immoral:

Diplomacy is neither the art of deceit nor mere lies or propaganda, and nor even something immoral.

(2) Diplomacy is a means of International Relations:

Diplomacy is a normal means of conducting relations. It consists of techniques and procedures for conducting relations among nations.

(3) Diplomacy is machinery for action:

In itself diplomacy is recognized as official machinery for the conduct of relations among nations.

(4) Diplomacy acts through Settled Procedures:

Diplomacy functions through a network of foreign offices, embassies, legations, consulates, and special missions all over the world. It always works according to definite and settled procedures and protocol.

(5) Bilateral as well as Multilateral in Form:

Diplomacy is commonly bilateral in character. However as a result of the growing importance of international conferences, international organisations, regional negotiations, it has now also developed a plural character. It is concerned with all issues and problems among nations.

(6) Diplomacy handles all types of Matters:

Diplomacy may embrace a multitude of interests—from the simplest issues to vital issues to that of war and peace.

(7) Breakdown of Diplomacy always leads to Crisis:

When diplomacy breaks down, the danger of war, or at least of a major crisis develops.

(8) Diplomacy operates both in times of Peace as well as War:

Some writers hold that diplomacy operates only in times of peace and when war breaks out diplomacy comes to an end. However, this is not a correct view. Diplomacy continues to operate even when war breaks out. Of course, during war its nature undergoes a change; from peace diplomacy it takes the form of war diplomacy.

(9) Diplomacy works in an environment characterised both by Conflict and Cooperation:

Diplomacy works in a situation involving both cooperation and conflict. A certain degree of cooperation among nations is essential for the working of diplomacy because in its absence, diplomatic relations cannot be maintained. Similarly when there is no conflict diplomacy becomes superfluous because there is no need for negotiations. Thus existence of cooperation as well as conflict is essential for the working of diplomacy.

(10) Diplomacy always works for securing national interests of the nation it represents:

The purpose of diplomacy is to secure the goals of national interest as defined and specified by the foreign policy of the nation. Diplomacy always works for the nation it represents.

(11) Diplomacy is backed by National Power. Diplomacy is backed by national power:

A strong diplomacy means a diplomacy backed by a strong national power. Diplomacy uses persuasion and influence as the means for exercising power in international relations. It cannot use force and violence. However, it can issue warnings, give ultimatums, promise rewards and threaten punishment, but beyond this it cannot directly exercise force. “Diplomacy is the promotion of national interest by peaceful means.”

(12) Test of Success of Diplomacy:

Success in Diplomacy is measured in terms of the amount of success achieved towards the fulfillment of the goals of national interest in international relations.

All these characteristics highlight the nature of Diplomacy. One can describe Diplomacy as an instrument of national interest and a tool of foreign policy.

Objectives of Diplomacy:

Broadly speaking, Diplomacy seeks to secure two types of primary objectives for the nation it represents. These are:

(i) Political Objectives, and

(ii) Non-political Objectives.

(1) Political Objectives of Diplomacy:

Diplomacy always works to secure the goals of national interest as defined by the foreign policy. It always works for increasing the influence of the state over other states. It uses persuasion, promises of rewards and other such means for this purpose. Through rational negotiations, it seeks to justify the objectives of the foreign policy of the nation. It seeks to promote friendship and cooperation with other nations.

(2) Non-political Objectives of Diplomacy:

The interdependence among nations is the most important and valuable fact of international living. Each nation depends upon others for economic and industrial links and trade. Diplomacy always seeks to promote the economic, commercial and cultural links of the nation with other nations. Diplomacy depends upon peaceful means, persuasive methods for promoting the interests of the nation and this is indeed an important non-political objective of Diplomacy.

Means of Diplomacy:

For securing its objectives, Diplomacy depends upon three major means: persuasion, compromise and threat of use of force. Diplomacy has to depend upon several tactics or techniques. The chances of the success of diplomacy are directly related to the ability of using appropriate means through appropriate tactics. In the main diplomacy uses six technique, which have been defined by the Hostile? A selection of a method or means is done on the basis of the time and circumstances of the situation. Any wrong decision in this respect can lead to a failure.

Six Main Devices of Diplomacy:

(i) Persuasion:

Through logical reasoning, Diplomacy seeks to convince others of the justification of the goals which it is trying to uphold or promote.

(ii) Rewards:

Diplomacy can offer rewards for securing acceptance of desired view of a particular international dispute or issue or problem.

(iii) Promise of Reward and Concessions:

Diplomacy can promise matching rewards and concessions for securing a particular change or maintaining a particular view in the policies of other nations.

(iv) Threat of use of Force:

Diplomacy cannot use force or violence in promoting the national interest. However, it can use threat of use of force—ultimatums, symbolic boycotts, protest walkouts or even threat of war etc., for securing its objectives.

(v) Non-violent Punishment:

By depriving a promised reward or concession, Diplomacy can inflict non-violent punishment on other nations.

(vi) Use of Pressure:

By using pressure tactics Diplomacy can force other nations to accept the desired view or policy or decision or goals that it represents. Besides these, Diplomacy also uses propaganda, cultural links, exploitation of situations, creation of particular scenes and situations, rigidity or flexibility in negotiations etc. Kautilya, in his Arthashastra, suggests “Sam, Dam, Danda Bheda and Niti” as the tactics of Diplomacy.

Functions and Role of Diplomacy:

In performing its tasks and securing its national objectives, Diplomacy has to undertake a number of functions.

Major Functions:

(1) Ceremonial/Symbolic Functions:

The diplomats of a nation are the symbolic representatives of the state and they represent their state and government in all official ceremonies and functions as well as in non-official, social and cultural functions held in the place of their postings.

(2) Representation:

A diplomat formally represents his country in a foreign state. He is the normal agent of communication between his home office and that of the state to which he is accredited. His representation is legal and political. He can vote in the name of his government. Of course, in doing so he is totally bound by the directions of his home office and the foreign Policy of the nation.

(3) Negotiations:

To conduct negotiations with other states is a substantive function of diplomacy. Diplomats, observe Palmer and Perkins, are by definition negotiators. They are the channels of communication which handle the transmission of messages between the foreign ministries of the parent state and the host state. Along with the nature of the message, the manner and style of delivering the message greatly influences the course of negotiations. It is mainly through negotiations that a diplomat seeks to secure agreements and compromises over various conflictual issues and problems among states.

The role of diplomacy in conducting negotiations has, however, declined in our times because of the emergence of multilateral diplomacy, personal diplomacy political diplomacy, summit diplomacy and the direct communication links among the world leaders and top statesmen. The diplomats today do not play as great a role in international negotiations as used to be previously played by them. Nevertheless, they continue to be the legal and formal channels of negotiations in international relations.

(4) Reporting:

Reporting involves the observation of the political, economic, military and social conditions of the host country and the accurate transmission of the findings of the diplomat to his home country. The political reporting involves a report about the assessment of the roles of various political parties in the politics of the host country. It seeks to assess the friendliness or hostility of the various political groupings towards the home state, and the power potential of each party or organisation.

Economic reporting involves sending of reports to the home office containing general information about the economic health and trade potential of the host country. Military reporting involves an assessment of the military might, intentions and capabilities, and the strategic importance of the host country.

The level of social and cultural conflicts among the people of the host country and the level of social harmony and cohesion are assessed for determining the level of stability of the host country. Thus reporting is an important and valuable function of diplomacy.

(5) Protection of Interests:

Diplomacy is always at work for protecting and promoting the interests of the nation and its people living abroad. Protection of interests is the “bedrock of the practice of diplomacy.” It works to secure compatibility out of incompatibility through accommodation, reconciliation and goodwill.

A diplomat always attempts to prevent or change practices which he feels are discriminatory to the interests of his country. It is his responsibility to protect the persons, property and interests of such citizens of his country as are living in the territory of the state to which he stands posted.

Through all these functions, diplomacy plays an important role in international relations.

Change in the Character of Diplomacy: From Old Diplomacy to New Diplomacy:

In contemporary times the nature of Diplomacy has undergone a big change. From its traditional dress (Old Diplomacy) it has come to acquire several new features. This change has earned for it the name New Diplomacy.

Old Diplomacy:

Diplomacy in its traditional form is known as Old Diplomacy and its main features have been:

(i) European Diplomacy:

Old Diplomacy was primarily confined to Europe. Being an imperial continent which controlled and ruled the continents of Asia and Africa, Europe was the centre of all international activities. Old Diplomacy had its origin in Europe and continued, till 1914, to handle the relations among the European states.

(ii) Aristocratic:

In Old Diplomacy, the conduct of foreign relations was considered to be the prerogatives of the kings or rulers and their trusted ambassadors. The diplomats used to be selected by the monarchs and were responsible to their ‘lords’. Diplomacy was conducted by a class of professional diplomats and was characterised by an air of aristocracy, nobility and class consciousness. It was both formal and elitist in nature and approach.

(iii) Special Emphasis upon Virtues:

The Old Diplomacy was aristocratic and hence regarded several well defined and accepted principles as cardinal principles or virtues of diplomats. Honesty, integrity, truthfulness, politeness, fairness, strict conformity to protocol, secrecy and total commitment to national interests were considered to be the essential qualities of diplomats. However in actual operation, the Old Diplomacy was characterised by ‘honest lies,’ integrity in appearance, qualified truthfulness, outward politeness, self- satisfying fairness and strict observance of protocol and secrecy.

(iv) Secrecy:

Secrecy was considered to be the hallmark of Old Diplomacy. Complete secrecy in respect of the negotiations as well as about the outcome of these negotiations was considered to be a vitally important condition of old diplomacy. Diplomats communicated only with their counterparts in other countries. Secret negotiations leading to secret undertakings, agreements or treaties or alliances were considered to be the ideal ways of conducting relations for the preservation of peace and problem solving.

(v) Freedom of Action for the Ambassadors:

Within the broad limits of agreed policy, the diplomats handling diplomatic negotiations used to enjoy freedom of action. During the era of Old Diplomacy, the ambassadors enjoyed considerable freedom in matters of negotiations. Lack of speedy and continuous means of communications made it essential for the state to give wide powers to its diplomats.

The inability to maintain continuous speedy communications with the ambassadors made it essential for the ruler of the state to give freedom of action and full power to his ambassadors. Ambassadors always used their authority freely without much fear of the ‘home office.’

Old Diplomacy continued to remain in operation till the middle of the 20th century. Thereafter, it had to change due to several big changes in the international system as well as because of the development of fast and comprehensive means of transport and communications. It now came to be a New Diplomacy.

New Diplomacy and Distinction with Old Diplomacy:

New Diplomacy has the following salient features which have been totally different from the features of Old Diplomacy.

(i) New Diplomacy is Global, Old Diplomacy was mainly European:

The New Diplomacy is truly global in nature and scope. The rise of Asia, Africa and Latin America and the emergence of a large number of sovereign independent states changed the character of post-war international relations. From mostly European relations these came to be truly international relations involving all the sovereign states. Consequently, diplomacy had to abandon its European character and to become truly global in nature and approach.

(ii) New Diplomacy is mostly Multilateral, whereas Old Diplomacy was mostly Bilateral:

Multilateral negotiations in international conferences, institutionalized diplomacy at the United Nations and the emergence of direct personal contacts among the statesmen and leaders of various states, have all combined to give a new look and content to New Diplomacy. Old Diplomacy was mostly bilateral and limited; the New Diplomacy is mostly multilateral and global.

(iii) New Diplomacy is less formal than Old Diplomacy:

New Diplomacy is not as much formal and rigid in respect of rules or procedures as was the case with the Old Diplomacy. Presently, there exist quite informal and direct contacts among the leaders and diplomats of various states.

(iv) New Diplomacy is mostly open and Old Diplomacy was mostly secret:

In New Diplomacy the negotiations are open and the results are, invariably always, made public soon after the reaching of agreements or treaties or alliances or settlements. Diplomatic negotiations are given full coverage over the Radio, Press, Television and other means of mass-media. Old Diplomacy favoured secrecy as its governing principle.

(v) Democratic Nature of New Diplomacy versus Aristocratic nature of Old Diplomacy:

The New Diplomacy is democratic, whereas Old Diplomacy was aristocratic in nature. In the era of the latter, a special elitist class of diplomats, who were professionals to the core, used to conduct diplomatic negotiations and relations.

However, at present the increased influence of public opinion, political parties, pressure groups, world public opinion, the rise of a more democratic and less aristocratic class of civil servants, have all given a new dimension and look to diplomacy. Modern ambassadors and consoler’s are democratic in their outlook towards diplomacy. A degree of informality has come to characterize their functioning in international relations.

(vi) New Diplomacy depends more on Propaganda than Old Diplomacy:

The use of propaganda/publicity as an important instrument of political warfare in international relations is accepted and used by New Diplomacy as a means for securing the goals of national interest that it represents. Old Diplomacy was mostly secret and hence avoided propaganda. It concentrated upon legal and formal communications as the means for conveying its wishes, desires and objectives.

(vii) Under New Diplomacy, the role of a Diplomat has suffered a Decline:

In the era of New Diplomacy, the role of diplomat has suffered a decline. Due to the development of speedy means of transport and communications, it has become possible for the political leaders of the states to develop and maintain direct, continuous and active contacts with one another.

This development has reduced the role of an ambassador as a link between his home state and the host state. In Old Diplomacy, diplomats were regarded as the most important vital links among the states and were full representatives of their nations in international relations.

They enjoyed a lot of discretion and freedom of action. New Diplomacy has reduced the role of diplomats to glorified representatives who really act as highly dignified messengers and actors with the responsibility of faithfully carrying out the instructions of the foreign office and political leadership of their states. The control of the foreign office over the diplomats has considerably increased in this real of New Diplomacy.

Thus, the features of New Diplomacy are almost entirely different from the features of Old Diplomacy.

Secret Diplomacy and Open Diplomacy:

(A) What is Secret Diplomacy?

The term Secret Diplomacy is used to designate the diplomatic practice of conducting secret negotiations and making secret pacts, decisions, alliances and treaties. In Secret Diplomacy no attempt is made to take the people into confidence, and little information about diplomatic activity is provided to the public. Secrecy is considered vital for the success of diplomacy.

(B) What is Open Diplomacy?

Open Diplomacy is the opposite of Secret Diplomacy. In the age of democracy, it is argued that the people have the right and duty to know and to participate in foreign policy decision-making. As such, it is considered essential that diplomacy must take into account popular wishes and public opinion. It is expected to inform the public about the nature and progress of all diplomatic negotiations as well as about the final agreement or disagreement resulting from such negotiations.

Diplomacy must be accountable and for this it is essential that people must know as to what diplomacy is doing and what are its achievements and failures. People and their groups should have the opportunity to influence the working of diplomacy.

(1) Arguments in favour of Open Diplomacy or Arguments against Secret Diplomacy:

1. It is the natural right of the people to know everything about the affairs of their government.

2. It is the right of the people to keep the government responsible for its acts.

3. It is the duty of the people to keep Diplomacy under check and prevent it from leading the nation into an environment of tensions, strains and war.

4. Open Diplomacy is the best way of involving the people in the process of securing national interests and making them politically conscious.

5. Secret Diplomacy leads to deceit, double dealings, and irresponsibility on the part of diplomats.

6. There exists no justification for making secret treaties and alliances because every such instrument has a direct bearing upon the future of the people of the state.

(2) Arguments against Open Diplomacy or Arguments in favour of Secret Diplomacy:

1. Secrecy in the interest of nation is an absolutely necessary condition for the success of diplomacy.

2. Secret negotiations help the diplomats to be free and frank in expressing their views.

3. Open Diplomacy can be misleading in practice, because the need for securing public sympathy for an essential state act can make the diplomats practise window- dressing and false propaganda.

4. General public has neither the ability nor the time to participate constructively in diplomatic debate that may emerge as a result of public access to all information regarding diplomatic negotiations.

Use of both Secret and Open Diplomacy:

Thus, there are arguments both for and against Open Diplomacy. Open Diplomacy is democratic and hence can be helpful in securing international peace. However, it can lead to unwanted and harmful popular decisions and reduce efficiency. Secret Diplomacy on the other hand can be more active and efficient. However, it appears to be undemocratic in this age of democracy as it can lead to certain unpopular and aristocratic or elitist negotiations and decisions.

The best way, therefore, can be the middle way— Open Diplomacy in respect of the facts of treaties, alliances and agreements which a nation makes with other nations and some Secret Diplomacy in respect of diplomatic negotiations. The ideal is to let the public know what is considered good for the protection and promotion of national interest. Sharing of all details and negotiations can have an harmful effect on relations with other nations and can hinder the process of attainment of national goals.

The guiding principle in determining whether a particular diplomatic negotiation is to be kept secret or made public, should be the considerations for national interest. If national interest demands secrecy, it must be maintained otherwise it is always better to make things public.

Decline and Future of Diplomacy:

Decline of Diplomacy:

In this age of science, technology and IT revolution, Diplomacy has suffered a substantial decline. Its role has suffered a big setback. It no longer performs that spectacular role which it used to perform in the 19th Century.

Four Factors Responsible for the Decline of Diplomacy:

(1) Speedy means of Communication:

Previously, in the absence of speedy means of communications, the governments of the states used to be forced to depend upon their diplomats stationed in foreign countries for conducting negotiations and maintaining relations with one another. Presently, the technological revolution has made it possible for the governments to maintain direct and continuous contacts with their diplomats as well as among themselves. The dependence of the government upon diplomats has sharply decreased.

(2) The Deprecation of Diplomacy:

The feeling that diplomacy is a source of secret, underhand, double-dealing and undesirable power politics has been the second factor responsible for a decline of diplomacy. Many people, today believe that diplomacy is an ineffective instrument of world peace. Some even go to the extent of describing it as a dangerous device which endangers peace. Diplomacy emerged in the era of the rise of nation-state and hence it is a means of power politics and nationalism, which needs elimination in this age of internationalism.

(3) Advent of New Diplomacy:

The emergence of New Diplomacy, more so Parliamentary Diplomacy, Conference Diplomacy, and Personal Diplomacy, has led to a decline of diplomacy. Love for open democracy and open negotiations has forced the transformation of Old Diplomacy into New Diplomacy.

These changes and the trend towards public parliamentary procedure instead of traditional diplomatic negotiations have adversely affected the role of diplomacy in international relations. The New Diplomacy offers a middle way of combining secrecy with openness, formality with informality, deliberations with leisure and business with increased personal contacts, and hence, it has made traditional diplomacy unpopular.

(4) The Nature of International System and Role of Diplomacy:

The nature of international relations of cold war period (1945-90) acted as a hindering factor for diplomacy. The presence of cold war, two super powers, nuclear weapons, end of balance of power, transformation of war into total war, birth of new states, alliances and counter alliances, rise of the United Nations and other international agencies etc., all combined to produce a big change in the nature of post-war international relations.

These changes adversely affected the role of diplomacy as a device of power management in international relations. In the era of cold war “persuasion tantamount to trickery, compromise meant treason and threat of force spelled war”; and all this discouraged the use of diplomacy for conducting relations.

As such, due to several factors, a decline in the role of Diplomacy took place in the 20th century. It had to become open and tolerate direct personal diplomacy among political leaders and power holders of various states.

Diplomacy had to undergo a change under the impact of several big changes in the international environment and relations among nations. In the process Diplomacy suffered a decline of role. Its popularity as a means of conflict-resolution registered a fall. This situation prevails even today.

Future of Diplomacy:

Despite a change in its role and functions, Diplomacy still continues to be a valuable instrument of international relations. It continues to be an important element of both National Power and Foreign Policy. A change or decline in its role does not mean that Diplomacy stands rejected as an instrument of international relations.

Diplomacy in its new form, the new diplomacy, continues to be regarded as one of the most important means of securing national interest as well as for preserving peace against war. So long as the need to eliminate, or at least to reduce the chances of war remains, Diplomacy as a mean for the conduct of relations is bound to be used by all the nations.

With its new dress, Diplomacy can be successfully used as a valuable instrument for the resolution of conflict and crisis management among nations. Diplomats have been trying to help the international community to overcome some of its problems and to secure a resolution of international disputes.

Other forms: diplomacies

Diplomacy is the art of helping groups to get along and even work together. If you have a gift for diplomacy, you can get bickering siblings to cooperate.

The word diplomacy comes from the French word diplomatie, which means “diplomat.” A diplomat lives in a foreign country, fluent in its language — and culture. The job of a diplomat is to practice diplomacy among nations, understanding the concerns and needs of all and, if possible, guiding them toward decisions that are mutually agreeable.

Definitions of diplomacy

  1. noun

    negotiation between nations

  2. noun

    subtly skillful handling of a situation

  3. noun

    wisdom in the management of public affairs

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘diplomacy’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Look up diplomacy for the last time

Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the
words you need to know.

VocabTrainer - Vocabulary.com's Vocabulary Trainer

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.

Get started

дипломатия, дипломатичность, такт

существительное

- дипломатия

open [secret] diplomacy — открытая [тайная] дипломатия
shuttle diplomacy — челночная дипломатия (связанная с попеременным посещением то одной, то другой страны)

- дипломатичность, такт

to attain one’s ends by diplomacy — дипломатично добиваться своих целей

- ловкость, умение действовать в своих интересах
- редк. = diplomatics
- уст. дипломатический корпус

Мои примеры

Словосочетания

matters touching the conduct of diplomacy — вопросы, затрагивающие ведение дипломатии  
influence diplomacy — влиять на ход дипломатических переговоров  
instruments of diplomacy — дипломатические средства  
kick diplomacy — дипломатия в лайковых перчатках; тонкая дипломатия  
language of diplomacy — дипломатический язык  
lot diplomacy — сдержанная дипломатия; «тихая» дипломатия  
low-key diplomacy — сдержанная дипломатия; «тихая» дипломатия  
media diplomacy — опора на средства массовой информации  
peace-making diplomacy — миротворческая дипломатия  
person-to-person diplomacy — курс на развитие личных контактов  
environmental diplomacy — экологическая дипломатия  

Примеры с переводом

He is a master of diplomacy.

Он хороший дипломат.

This is a situation that calls for tactful diplomacy.

Такая ситуация требует тактичной дипломатии.

He is skillful at diplomacy.

Он искусный дипломат.

Charles’ diplomacy eventually bore fruit.

В конечном итоге, дипломатия Чарльза принесла свои плоды.

She has had a long and distinguished career in diplomacy.

Она совершила долгую и выдающуюся карьеру в дипломатии.

Ruth hesitated, uncertain of how to combine honesty and diplomacy in her answer.

Рут запнулась, не зная, как ответить, чтобы было и честно, и тактично.

Примеры, ожидающие перевода

The job requires tact and diplomacy.

He parted company with Lloyd George over post-war diplomacy.

American diplomacy provided a toehold on which to proceed toward peace talks

Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке , напротив примера.

Like this post? Please share to your friends:
  • The word dignity in a sentence
  • The word difficult game
  • The word different types of its meaning
  • The word different antonyms
  • The word differ means