Brian Nova Prathama

10/297207/SP/23948
Ilmu Hubungan Internasional
Kelas diplomasi B

DIPLOMACY IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between
representatives of groups or states. It usually refers to international diplomacy, the
conduct of international relations through the intercession of professional diplomats
with regard to issues of peace-making, trade, war, economics, culture, environment
and human rights.
Diplomacy has its own history. Apparently, the diplomacy had occurred long
time before our modern life. The first relic recorded proof of diplomacy is the
Amarna letter. It was written between the pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of
Egypt and the Amurru rulers of Canaan during the 14th century BC. The known
tablets currently total in 382 numbers. Written on a clay tablet, this marvellous relic
was found by a two-child mother in Russia who was sweeping at her backyard
.
- Sumer
It was written there that Sumer (3000-2370 B.C.E) was the earliest
practitioners of diplomacy. Sumer was the site of the first independent urban
communities with complex social, economic and political structures in southern
Mesopotamia. Each of their provinces is ruled by a king who represents separate god
or goddess. They choose one strongest region to control and make decisions among
others. The diplomatic relation emerged from this urban community because the
motivation to end many conflicts. Their perspective was that no war could determine
who is right. They used diplomacy with mediation and arbitration. But the diplomatic
relation came to an end when Sumer was conquered by Sargon of Akkad.

-Ebla
When Sumer was flourishing, another source of thriving diplomacy was the
city-state of Ebla in the northern part of Syiria. At the height of its power (2600-2240
B.C.E) Ebla dominated northern Syiria, Lebanon, southeastern Turkey. This region
had priority in trading among other regions. International economic had been their
way to connect with others. But, following Sargon’s conquest of Sumer, Ebla was
destroyed by the Akkadians (2240 BCE)
 Brian Nova Prathama
10/297207/SP/23948
Ilmu Hubungan Internasional
Kelas diplomasi B
-Akkadian
Sargon established the first military empire in history (2370 B.C.E) in central
Mesopotamia and was considered the founder of the Mesopotamian military tradition.
Recently we know that he was the founding father of the official military forces.
Akkadian started to place representatives to the conquered areas. So that it could
retain their control to that region. But this Akkadian gave top priority to military
forces than economic section. But not to be forgotten they maintained their diplomatic
relation to economic section. Because the Akkadian had the highly planned economic
section. There was a script in Amarna letter, told that the Akkadian language was the
language of diplomatic, replacing what had existed before, the Sumerian language.
There was no evidence that this was the result of Akkadian diplomatic relation among
others. The Empire, quickly declined. Within a hundred years or so, it collapsed from
the invasion of barbarians, The Gutians (2200 B.C.E)

-Sumerian Revival and the Third Dynasty of Ur

The Sumerian despised The Gutians about as much as they did the Akkadians
and eventually rose against their domination (2150 B.C.E) and pushed them out of the
region. But about 2113 B.C.E, ambitious Ur-Nammu, a social and political reformer,
established the third Dynasty of Ur, claimed universal kingship and tried to unify all
Sumerians and Akkadians. It is reported that agents of central government were sent
on missions to the four corners of the empire. And in any case, the empire soon
collapsed, invaded by the Amorites.

-Babylon
This city was the nucleus of a small kingdom established about 1894 B.C.E by
the Amorite king Sumuabum. But the sixth and best-known member of the dynasty as
Hammurabi (1792 – 1750 B.C.E), this period was the intensive diplomatic activity.
Hammurabi made skilful use of diplomacy to increase his power. At this time, the
more rulers sought to attain their international objectives by negotiating alliances, but
these often proved unreliable; political alignments changed and more coalition
agreements needed to be negotiated. The Babylon was cut short by foreign invasion
involving the Hittities, coming from Anatolia. The reign of Hammurabi was in many
ways the apex and the end of Mesopotamian political eminence.
 Brian Nova Prathama
10/297207/SP/23948
Ilmu Hubungan Internasional
Kelas diplomasi B
-Egypt and the Hittites
For the longest time, the two major centres of civilization on the Middle East,
Egypt and Mesopotamia, maintained little diplomatic contact. But things changed
with the New Kingdom and the eighteenth dynasty (1570 B.C.E). The most
significant diplomatic relations were with the Hittites. Included in this diplomatic
dialogue were : - The regulation of trade
- The determination of boundaries
- The negotiation of alliances
- Averting war
- Bringing conflict to an end
- Strengthening friendly relation
-Assyria
Surrounded by states that were very different from one another, the Assyrian,
very early, depended upon diplomacy to remain in contact with their neighbours, tried
to find as much as they could about their armies, politics-always trying to negotiate to
some kind of alliances. Their source being limited, the Assyrians used the diplomacy
to attain their foreign relation objectives. They will look for alliances and let them
fight for Assyrian which required skilful diplomacy and the wielding promises and
threats.

-Persia
Persians were originally nomadic horsemen from the steppes north of the
Black Sea and the Caspian. They migrated slowly at first. But by 1000 B.C.E their
southward progress reached massive proportion. They settled in what now is Iran and
intermarried with the Medians (origins of the people of Middle East). Their empire
vastly flourishing and conquered twice regions as the Assyrian did – all conquered in
a short time. For two centuries, the Persians ventured Indus valley, interacting with
Indian city-state. Persians also maintained very active diplomatic with Greece,
supporting a number of Greek leagues, providing ships and money to that end. Persia
even served as mediator when city-states having conflicts.
 Brian Nova Prathama
10/297207/SP/23948
Ilmu Hubungan Internasional
Kelas diplomasi B
-Ancient India
Chandragupta (322-298 B.C.E) founder of Mauryan Dynasty, conquered the
basins of the Indus and Ganges as well as Afghanistan. Simultaneously, a man of
great learning, Kautilya, wrote an unusual body of doctrine on politics and diplomacy.
Kautilya expected representatives on each region to spy, engage in acts of sabotage
and attempt to secure defections from the enemy’s army. This reign has a perspective
that war determines everything. But on the other side, they looked upon diplomacy to
reach their international objectives.

-Ancient China
They maintained contact by means of messengers and other representatives.
members of nobility were employed for more important missions, particularly to
arrange marriage between royal houses. Diplomatic representatives, from this very
moments were granted safe passage. Harming them was seen as a grave international
offense. Interestingly, some envoys also used to prepare visits, courtesy and to held
conferences between regions.

-Ancient Greece
A surprising phenomenon of Greece’s diplomacy practice was the
representatives sent for an ad hoc mission. They sent about ten people to one region,
to ensure that their perspectives about conflict are conveyed. In this period of time,
public relations, consuls, were created and to help people – merchants – to visiting
envoys and foster a friendly outlook toward the state employing them.

-Rome
Rome rose to prominence but contributed less to diplomacy than its
remarkable accomplishments elsewhere. In this period of time, delegation who were
send to Rome were welcomed by the senates or a small group of senatorial
representative. The delegations of diplomacy were granted immunity of law and they
were to be served as well in Rome (Rome supplied their needs daily). But under the
Roman Empire (end of the first century B.C.E), the practice of diplomacy changed
substantially, particularly with the personal involvement of the emperor. Rome also
innovated in the practice of arbitration with the creation of commissions made up of
 Brian Nova Prathama
10/297207/SP/23948
Ilmu Hubungan Internasional
Kelas diplomasi B
two arbitrators, one representing each party, with a neutral umpire presiding for the
adjudication of international claim.

-Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire (330-1453 A.C) drastically changed the use of diplomacy.
They made it as an important instrument of their foreign relations. The Byzantine
empire was the first who created a special branch government to deal with foreign
relation and to train professionals to serve as diplomats. This was the very first time of
the creation of Foreign Ministry and legalization of Diplomats as official agents. They
used diplomacy to avoid chaos / disaster, because they had no military forces to fight
and to face war. Their relation to the Rome Church had given them an aura to
negotiate and to find alliances.
New techniques were added to the art of diplomacy, Byzantine diplomat was
to divide enemy and embroil them with each other. Gathering information about the
internal politics and external relationship of other nations thus became a major
function of diplomatic missions. Merchant, frontier, officials and other citizens abroad
were also expected to collect intelligences. That is why the citizen of Byzantine was
seen as suspicious.

-Medieval Europe
This is the age where Church, rather than King, had the allegiance of the
people. The church maintained contact and political issues were easily intertwined
with religious concerns. Diplomatic personnel remained entitled to special protection
and privileges. They were exempt from taxes and customs on goods or property
necessary for their missions.

-The Renaissance
The time when the Church started to lost its allegiance of the people and the
starting of a new modern diplomacy. The most important was the establishment of
permanent diplomatic missions in foreign capitals. Despite the growing importance
attached to permanent representation, special envoys continued to be used for the
negotiation of even minor agreements. This phenomenon happened in Italy.
 Brian Nova Prathama
10/297207/SP/23948
Ilmu Hubungan Internasional
Kelas diplomasi B
-The Age of Richelieu
This new era was to span three centuries, the seventeenth through nineteenth.
It was seen as the age of French diplomacy. Cardinal Richelieu, prime minister of
Louis XIII of France from 1624 to 1642, was a decisive force in restoring the integrity
of diplomacy and creating a profession to carry it out. He set out to strengthen the
function of Foreign Ministry and resulting French as a diplomatic language. There
were separation of diplomatic officers; ambassador extraordinary, ambassador
ordinary, envoys and resident.

-The Nineteenth Century

As a result of the age of Richelieu, this century was the symbol of vastly
expanding of modern diplomacy. The significant increasing in the number of states
involved in diplomatic process and an expansion of ambassadorial conference. For
example, in 1815, British had nineteen resident diplomatic missions, only two of
which were not in Europe. But by 1914, representation had grown to forty-one British
missions, nineteen of them outside Europe.

-The Interwar Period

This period was the age where diplomacy gained its fail upon preserving
peace. International organization made to maintain harmony to the world had failed to
prove its function. Because once again, the perspective changed that war determined
everything.

-World War II and the Postwar Era

Reflected from the World War I, many had fallen and chaos were everywhere,
the diplomacy has its chance once again to prove its function to the world. These,
absolutely did by those who wanted to live in a peaceful world. And by that
motivation, thus born the United Nations as a result of the Nations diplomacy. As you
know, this organization has a function to keep peace and to prevent war occurs
nowadays.

So it can be concluded that things around us do not change, we change.