Types of old diplomacy

1. Evolution of Diplomacy
Old Diplomacy & New Diplomacy
Old Diplomacy

2.  The Evolution of Diplomacy can be divided into two
periods; Old and the New diplomacy.
 Ancient Diplomacy was conducted between Ancient
Greece, Rome, Egypt and the Hittites (Anatolia).
 The New Diplomacy emerged after the French
Revolution, 1789 and made during the Congress of
Vienna and the Hague Peace Conferences.

3.  The Congress of Vienna was a conference of
ambassadors of the major powers of Europe.
 It was held in Vienna from 1814 to 1815.
 The Congress of Vienna was a major attempt to
bring long-term peace to a troubled Europe.
 And to control the pace of political change through
international supervision and intervention.

4.  It served as a model for later organizations such as
the League of Nations in 1919 and the UN in 1945.
 The Congress had major objectives to establish a
balance of power and to work together for peace in
Europe.
 The major players - Russia, Britain, Austria, Prussia,
and France.

5.  The Congress of Vienna succeeded in creating a
balance of power and peaceful diplomacy for almost a
decade.
French returned territories gained by Napoleon and
Russia extended its powers and received sovereignty
over Poland and Finland.

6.  This period of negotiation by the great powers
lasted till the WW-I in 1914.
 The Congress of Vienna failed because the great
powers didn't deal with rising nationalism across
Europe, a force that would destabilize the
continent throughout the 19th century.

7.  The Hague Conventions held in The Hague,
Netherlands, in 1899 and 1907.
 The first multilateral accord that addressed the
conduct of warfare, based on the Lieber Code.
 It was signed and issued by US President Abraham
Lincoln to the Union Forces of the US on 24 April
1863, during the American Civil War (1861).

8.  They establish the laws of war in the strict sense, that
must be followed during hostilities.
 The "Lieber Instructions" represent the first attempt to
codify the laws of war, that dictated how soldiers
should conduct in wartime.
 Before the Lieber Code, the conduct of soldiers during
hostilities was mostly based on customs.

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

10. Aristocratic
 The conduct of foreign relations was considered to be the
right 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 professional diplomats,
characterized by aristocracy and class consciousness.
 It was formal and superior in nature and approach.

11. Special Emphasis upon Merits
 The Old Diplomacy was aristocratic and regarded
several well defined basic qualities of diplomats.
 Honesty, truthfulness, politeness, fairness, strict
obedience to procedure, secrecy and total commitment
to national interests; were considered to be the essential
qualities of diplomats.

12. Secrecy
 Secrecy was the symbol of Old Diplomacy.
 Complete secrecy in respect of the negotiations
and about the outcome of these negotiations was
considered to be a vitally important condition of
old diplomacy.

13.  Diplomats communicated only with their counterparts
in other countries.
 Secret negotiations leading to secret undertakings,
agreements or alliances were considered to be the ideal
ways of conducting relations for the preservation of
peace and problem solving.

14. Freedom of Action for the Ambassadors
 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.

15.  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.

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