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Diplomacy facts for kids

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Diplomacy is about using smart and polite ways to talk and make agreements between different groups, usually countries. It's like finding good solutions to problems that everyone can agree on. Diplomacy often involves countries making deals, like a treaty, to work together or solve disagreements.

When countries talk, their leaders or special representatives called diplomats do the talking. Sometimes these talks are about trade or business, and sometimes they are about war and peace. Diplomacy is very important when two or more countries are having a conflict.

Diplomats are people sent by their home country to meet and talk with diplomats from other countries. A very important type of diplomat is an ambassador. An ambassador lives in a foreign country so they can easily meet with that country's government.

Who are Diplomats and What are Diplomatic Missions?

A diplomat is someone who works in diplomacy. A group of diplomats from one country living in another country is called a diplomatic mission. The highest-ranking diplomat is an Ambassador. A diplomatic mission led by an ambassador is known as an embassy.

All the diplomats from a specific country are part of that country's diplomatic service. All the diplomats assigned to a particular country form the diplomatic corps.

A Quick Look at Diplomacy's History

The idea of diplomacy has been around for thousands of years, ever since the first city-states were formed. For a long time, diplomats were only sent for special talks and would go home afterward. These diplomats were usually important people, like relatives of the ruling family, to show they had authority.

Diplomacy in Europe

Modern diplomacy, with permanent embassies, started in Northern Italy during the early Renaissance (around the 13th century). Milan was a leader in this, setting up the first permanent embassies to other Italian city-states. Many traditions we see today, like presenting an ambassador's official papers to the head of state, began in Italy.

From Italy, the idea of permanent embassies spread across Europe. By the late 16th century, it was common for major European powers to exchange representatives. The top diplomat was an ambassador, who was usually a nobleman. These ambassadors had to live in large homes and host fancy parties, playing a big role in the host country's court life.

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The French diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord is seen as one of the most skilled diplomats ever.

Because ambassadors were often nobles without much experience in foreign affairs, they needed a large staff of professionals. These staff members were often more knowledgeable about the host country. To fill these roles, universities started teaching international law, modern languages, and history.

Around the same time, countries began creating permanent foreign ministries to manage their embassies. These ministries were much smaller than today's. For example, France, which had the largest foreign affairs department in the 1780s, only had about 70 full-time employees.

The French Revolution changed diplomacy a lot. Ordinary people became diplomats for France, and the old rules about who was more important were thrown out. Napoleon even put some British diplomats in jail, ignoring the idea of diplomatic immunity.

After Napoleon's defeat, the Congress of Vienna in 1815 set up new international rules for diplomatic ranks. Over time, the rank of ambassador became the standard for most countries, especially after World War II.

Diplomacy in Asia

Diplomatic traditions outside Europe were often different. In Asia and the Middle East, powerful empires like China and the Ottoman Empire often saw themselves as superior to their neighbors. They expected other countries to send representatives to them, rather than sending their own diplomats out. For example, the Ottoman Turks didn't send missions to other states until the 19th century.

However, there were times in Chinese history when diplomacy was very important, especially when China was weaker or threatened.

One of the earliest thinkers about international relations was Sun Tzu, who wrote The Art of War in the 6th century BC. He lived during a time when rival Chinese states were constantly fighting. Diplomacy was crucial for making allies, trading land, and signing peace treaties.

After a big rebellion from 755 to 763, the Tang Dynasty in China made a truce and signed a peace treaty with the Tibetan Empire in 841.

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Portraits of Periodical Offering (6th century) shows various envoys, including ambassadors from Persia and Japan.

During the Song Dynasty (960–1279), clever diplomats like Shen Kuo and Su Song used their knowledge of cartography (map-making) and old records to secure China's borders with the often-hostile Liao Dynasty to the north.

Long before that, the Chinese sent envoys to Central Asia, India, and Persia starting with Zhang Qian in the 2nd century BC. Chinese diplomacy was also important during periods of Chinese exploration, with diplomatic envoys sent on maritime (sea) missions across the Indian Ocean to places like India, Arabia, and East Africa.

During the Mongol Empire (1206-1294), the Mongols used something like a diplomatic passport called a paiza. Depending on its type (gold, silver, or copper), it gave envoys authority to ask for food, transport, and a place to stay from anyone within the empire.

As European power grew around the world in the 18th and 19th centuries, their diplomatic system was adopted by many Asian countries.

How Diplomacy Works: Strategies

Real-world diplomatic talks are different from simple debates. While sometimes countries can agree based on good principles, most diplomacy has traditionally been influenced by a country's hard power (like military strength or economic power).

Think of it like negotiations between a company and its workers. If the workers aren't willing to go on strike, the company has no reason to agree to their demands. But if the company isn't willing to face a strike, the workers can get whatever they want. The same idea applies to countries in diplomatic talks.

However, there are also reasons for countries to act fairly, especially if they need the support of others. Winning one negotiation might not be worth making other countries angry. This is also called soft power, which means influencing others through culture, values, and policies, rather than force.

Many modern diplomatic situations also follow rules. For example, if two countries in the WTO have a trade disagreement, they both benefit from following agreed-upon rules to prevent bigger problems.

Diplomatic Immunity

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The French diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord is seen as one of the most skilled diplomats ever.

The safety of diplomats has always been important. This protection is known as diplomatic immunity. While diplomats have sometimes been killed, it's usually seen as a serious violation. Genghis Khan and the Mongols were known for strongly protecting diplomats' rights and would severely punish any state that harmed them. For instance, when Persia killed a Mongol ambassador, Genghis Khan invaded the entire country.

Diplomatic rights became formal in Europe in the mid-17th century and then spread globally. These rights were officially written down in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. This agreement protects diplomats from being arrested or tried for crimes in the country where they are working. If a diplomat commits a serious crime, they can be declared persona non grata (an unwanted person) and sent home to be tried in their own country.

Diplomatic messages are also considered very private. Diplomats have long been allowed to carry documents across borders without them being searched, often using a "diplomatic bag" or "diplomatic pouch."

In times of conflict, diplomats are often called back home for their safety. Sometimes, they are temporarily recalled by their home countries to show disapproval of the host country. Even then, lower-level staff usually stay behind to continue diplomatic work.

Diplomacy and Spying

Diplomacy is closely connected to espionage, which is the gathering of secret information. Embassies are used by both diplomats and spies. Some diplomats are even openly known as spies. For example, a military attaché's job is to learn as much as possible about the host country's military. They don't hide this role and are only invited to public events like military parades.

There are also secret spies working in many embassies. These individuals have fake diplomatic jobs, but their main task is to illegally gather intelligence, often by working with local spies. If caught, these diplomats can be expelled from the country. However, counter-intelligence agencies sometimes prefer to keep these agents under close watch instead of expelling them.

The information gathered by spies is becoming more and more important in diplomacy. For example, arms-control treaties would be impossible without reconnaissance satellites and agents to check if countries are following the rules. Spy information is useful in almost all types of diplomacy, from trade agreements to border disputes.

Solving Problems Through Diplomacy

Over time, different ways of handling diplomatic issues and disagreements have developed.

Arbitration and Mediation

Sometimes, countries use international arbitration to solve a specific problem or disagreement. This means a neutral third party helps them find a solution. In the past, there weren't many formal rules for this, but it was generally based on international law and fairness.

Today, much of this work is done by the International Court of Justice in the Hague or other official groups working under the United Nations.

Here's an example:

  • The Hay-Herbert Treaty was signed after the United States and Britain used international mediation to settle a disagreement about the US-Canadian border.

Conferences

Another way to solve problems is by holding international conferences. At these meetings, there are fewer strict rules, but participants are still expected to act fairly and logically.

Some examples of these important conferences are:

  • The Congress of Vienna (1815): After Napoleon was defeated, this meeting helped redraw the map of Europe and settle many political and national claims.
  • The Congress of Berlin (1878): This meeting of European powers and the Ottoman Empire aimed to reorganize the Balkans after the Russo-Turkish War.

Negotiations

Sometimes, nations hold official negotiation processes to settle an issue or dispute between several countries. These are similar to conferences, with no strict rules, but they follow general principles and past examples.

Some examples are:

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Diplomacia para niños

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