Diplomacy

SLIDE 21
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.
The term Diplomacy is used in many 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.

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.

Objectives
SLIDE 22
(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

Devices of diplomacy
SLIDE 23
(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 forceultimatums,
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

Changes in Diplomacy
SLIDE 24
The old form of diplomacy played an important role for many
countries mainly between Europeans in the 18th, 19th, and 20th
century. It was conducted by skilled people from the rich houses
and they famously used secrecy in the conduct of their

negotiations, the Diplomats were regarded as the darkest of all

officials of the states because they could run any situation to
their own interest without being caught, also most of their work
was behind closed doors negotiating very important issues which
could affect their national security. However, they had the green
card to use any method that could have been beneficial to their
country.
But there was new type of diplomacy mentioned by President
Wilson to describe the new situation that occurred straight after
the First World War and the creation of the League of Nations.
Moreover, the world changed a lot after World War One with it the
International Relations, the practice entered a new era and saw
the creation of the league of nation council, an organisation
where diplomats from all countries sat and discussed matters of
that time openly and in front of all other representatives under
one big ceiling. It was the first sign of the open negotiations and
the multilateral Diplomacy. Many Diplomats met to discuss
issues that concerned the whole world. New technologies were
also used for the interest of states as leaders travelled by planes
across oceans to meet other leaders, wherever the meeting was
held, therefore, the distance between capitals was not an issue
any more. The New Diplomacy became more opened to the public
and

accessible

through

the

media

available.

The diplomacy became more open after the Second World War
and the public got involved more with practice especially in
conflicts that led or were leading to war. Mass Media Worldwide
issued goodwill messages between states and were easy thing and

were read in seconds. As well the Media transformed the issues

into public debates and then either positive or negative public
reactions are they could be seen on the other continent at same
time. The world is getting smaller and the technology is affecting
the world politics strongly and the Diplomacy is also evolving.
Nowadays politicians take decisions on international matters and
then diplomats try to explain them to other parties in order to
solve the problem or negotiate for the common grounds.