The way in which states are dealing with one another has changed more in the past decades than in the 350 years since the Peace of Westphalia. This accessible volume supplements the analyses of more familiar topics in the introductory literature on diplomacy. Experts from nine countries examine some of the ways in which diplomatic practice after 1945 has adapted to fundamental changes in international relations, or is still trying to come to terms with them. This book gives insights into a transforming diplomatic landscape and the changing forms and modalities of contemporary diplomacy.

This book reassesses the transformation of European diplomacy which took place at the beginning of the twentieth century. It focuses on the British and Russian diplomatic establishments during the years 1894-1917 in order to illustrate both the heterogeneity and complex nature of the 'Old Diplomacy'. The book will 'ground' discussion in a series of case-studies designed to illustrate both the benefits and the pitfalls of generalizing about a complicated process of transformation that had a range of social, political, administrative and psychological dimensions.

This book provides a general understanding of Ottoman diplomacy in relation to the modern international system. The origins of Ottoman diplomacy have been traced back to the Islamic tradition and Byzantine Inner Asian heritage. The Ottomans regarded diplomacy as an institution of the modern international system. They established resident ambassadors and the basic institutions and structure of diplomacy. The book concludes with a review of the legacy of Ottoman diplomacy.

The ancient civilizations of the Near East - Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, the Hittites and Canaanites - constituted the first formalized international relations system in world history. Holy wars, peace treaties, border regulations, trade relations and the extradition of refugees were problems for contemporary ambassadors and diplomats as they are today. Mario Liverani reconstructs the procedures of international relations in the period c.1600-1100BC using historical semiotics, communication theory and economic and political anthropology.

What role, if any, does the foreign ministry perform in contemporary world politics? Is the argument that it is in a state of terminal decline accurate or rooted in only partial understandings of its changing character? Foreign Ministries in the European Union explores this theme in the context of the EU where foreign ministry has played a key role in the development of integration but where its role is increasingly questioned. The contributors examine the foreign ministry in 13 member states and draw conclusions that challenge some conventional wisdoms.

From the UN Security Council and the European Union's Council of Ministers to obscure committees on food labelling or the scheduling of World Fairs, several thousand multilateral conferences are held each year. Why do governments deploy so much effort in these activities? What goes on behind the scenes at these meetings? How are their outcomes determined and what are the real-world consequences? Ronald A. Walker reveals the inner workings of such conferences, the result-oriented strategies that are pursued behind a facade of formal ritual and their impact on the behaviour of sovereign...

An examination of the nature of middle power diplomacy in the post-Cold War era. As the rigid hierarchy of the bipolar era wanes, the potential ability of middle powers to open segmented niches opens up. This volume indicates the form and scope of this niche-building diplomatic activity from a bottom up perspective to provide an alternative to the dominant apex-dominated image in international relations.

How do governments that do not enjoy formal diplomatic relations use propaganda? When a government is denied recognition by the international community, it must explore every avenue of publicity available to project its image and policies. For such actors, propaganda can become diplomacy out of necessity. The Republic of China on Taiwan is such a government, and its predicament is the subject of this book. It discusses the relationship between diplomacy and propaganda from an exciting new perspective, illustrated by a fascinating case-study.

This book marries the disciplines of International Relations and Diplomatic History to provide a major new study of the GATT system in the 1960s. Using recently declassified British and American government documents, this book identifies the key role British diplomats played at the Kennedy Round. Through the close ties that characterise the Anglo-American relationship, the British influenced American policy and strategy in the negotiations. The evidence of this study challenges realist theories of middle power influence in the international political economy by demonstrating the determining...

Provides a systematic comparison of legal scholars' views and governments' practice regarding the occasions for, criteria for, and effects of recognition. It traces the evolution from the 19th century practice basing recognition mainly on effective rule to more frequent use of additional criteria in the interwar and early Cold War, to the reassertion of the primacy of effective rule since 1970 and places it in the context of contemporaneous changes in world politics.