What's Diplomacy?

When people think about diplomacy, or the diplomatic world for that matter, they tend to be very light in their perceptions. For the average person diplomats are a "bunch" of well-mannered individuals, relate snobbishly to others, dressed in fancy clothes, who share liters of champagne and scotch, gossip on their peers, have pet conversations and, at the end of a party, remain stand still waiting for a photo op...

Now, let's get serious about it! What's diplomacy anyway?

Diplomacy is broadly described as the art, practice and knowledge of conducting negotiations (like alliances, treaties and agreements) and international relations with other states by authorized-public employees. These activities usually refer to the intercession of specially-appointed government officials or professional diplomats, with regards to a wide variety of topical issues. Diplomacy has been a practice of early empires and sovereign states throughout history. Here is a brief account of some of the historic phases and landmarks of diplomacy:

The earliest diplomatic records were the Amarna Letters (first known international peace treaty between the Pharaoh of Egypt and the ruler of the Hittite Empire.) During the ancient Persian Empire the most important foreign relation efforts were dedicated to the Hindu-Iranian and Sino-Iranian ones. Antique India had a long tradition of diplomacy with its kingdoms and dynasties. It incorporated the theory of "mutual diplomacy" (currently known, for instance, with the mutual expulsion of diplomats in times of disputes.)

When the Ottoman Empire was a superpower of its time, the Italian states gave great importance to all kinds of dealings with it. The maritime republics of Genoa and Venice relied deeply on their relations with the Empire. They created a new set of rules and it can be concluded that they changed diplomacy for good. When the maritime republics depended less on their powerful naval capabilities, they varied that to more merchant relations with the Ottomans. Citizens like clergy, diplomats and storekeepers, inaugurated new forms of diplomacy. At first, a diplomat was just a negotiator but later, he evolved into a representative of states in a variety of government affairs. Due to the importance of the political environment surrounding the Ottoman Empire, it became evident the need for the other sovereigns to accommodate diplomatically.

Ancient-Greek city states sent envoys to each other to achieve treaties and negotiate specific issues, such as commercial relations, peace or war. They didn't have diplomatic representatives the way we know them today, instead they came up with the practice of Proxeny. It consisted of choosing a well-known member of the community (usually called Proxenos) who hosted envoys from other states -at his own expenses- where he conducted a variety of negotiations on their behalf. Some of his duties were to establish relations of friendship with each other. To achieve this, they resorted to family bonds as well. In times of peace relations were undertaken with rival empires like the Persian one. When it collapsed under Alexander the Great, he as an adept to diplomacy, used this to "enchant" conquered territories. Along with it, Alexander considered intermingling (through marriage accords with native populations) as a way of bringing peace to rebellious territories.

The Byzantine Empire had, as a primary goal, to achieve relations to its sundry neighbors namely the Lombards, Hiberians, Germans, Huns and Slavs. When it had a stronger position, militarily speaking, it sent its own arm forces as envoys. While in times of military weakness, due to the various wars it was involved in, it relied for its security on diplomatic emissaries to gather intelligence from its rivals.

On East Asia, during the Chinese Empire, an early diplomatic theorist called Sun Tzu signed a number of peace treaties, alliances and barterings of land between the Empire and warring rival states. Throughout that period of time a diplomat had a role more of a persuader. Koreans and Japanese emulated Chinese bureaucracy as a symbol of modernity. The Japanese Empire established frequent embassies to China. China sent envoys to Central Asia, India, Persia and the Khmer Empire of Cambodia. The Mongol Empire (1206-1294), created the Paiza which is considered the first modern passport. Frequently, an envoy had the right to ask for food, transport, and a place to stay from any village, city or clan within the empire's boundaries with no difficulties.

Modern European diplomacy goes back to the states of Northern Italy during the Renaissance. The first embassies were established by Milanese ruler Francesco Sforza in the 13th century. Rival cities of Florence and Venice were also very active at some point of this period establishing embassies from the 14th century onwards. Someone who had a key role throughout the era was the diplomatic ambassador for the Florentine Republic Niccoló Macchiavelli. He is always viewed as the father of modern political science. Traditions of contemporary diplomacy, like the presentation of an ambassador's credentials, were customary in the Italian Peninsula. From there, the practice of diplomacy spread across Europe. Milan, as the main center of power, was the first to send representatives to the courts of France and Spain. Soon after this, the major European governments were exchanging emissaries. By the late 16th century, the establishment of missions became habitual. During the 1500s and 1700s, the rules of current diplomacy were further developed.

An ambassador had the top rank of an embassy. He was usually a nobleman who gave prestige to the country he was representing. Even if sometimes ambassadors had little foreign experience, because of the complexity of their tasks (the position involved the mastering of various languages and a huge knowledge of general culture including economics and history), they were aided by a variety of staff represented by diplomatic-career officials graduated from foreign ministries that began to be founded in almost all European states. Embassies, for their part, required strict standards because the role they played in the courts they were delegated to: have large residences, organize lavish receptions, and take an important part in the life of the host nation.

From this point on, diplomacy evolved and spread rapidly all over the world and became a common practice, as we know it today, to relate to other states and solve disputes.

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