Diplomacy, as the essential element of Politics

In the Oxford English dictionary the noun ‘Diplomacy’ is expressed as the skill of managing international relations or in other words, dealing with people in a sensitive and an effective way. Diplomacy however, is as old as Politics. The ancient civilizations thrived in their eras alongside their contemporaries due to the healthy relationships they mustered with each other which they substantiated with occasional visits with wagons pregnant with gifts. History has unanimous records of such great diplomatic feats that united the most unlikely of cultures that may have been an impossible in the present day. In 331 BC Alexander the Great of Macedonia was on a quest which he almost believed to be an act of dire holiness. He was en route to Persia; an odyssey with vengeance to confront the arch enemy of the Greek civilization, Darius the Third. This gallant young emperor who had always shone as the epitome of courage to his soldiers made an important decision, a decision which led to the founding of one of the most historic cities in the world – Alexandria. He decided to stop in Egypt, where he was welcome as a liberator, as a pharaoh, with love and respect. His diplomacy was of great importance for his emergence as the victor in a battlefield where the Persians outnumbered the Macedonians 10:1. Good diplomacy has always been lucrative; this for a fact is made comprehensible with the availability of documentaries on how the ancient worlds thrived even though they had considerably low technology. In Politics one could almost say ‘One thing leads to another.’ Prosperity requires development synchronized with a stable economy, the latter requires peace; as in peaceful relationships with your neighbors both on a domestic level and at an international level and peace requires efficient diplomacy. Therefore it is appropriate to state that good diplomacy has always led to prosperity. The relevance of this fact can be highly regarded with almost all of the ancient civilizations – Egyptians, Chinese, Indians…etc. Diplomacy requires negotiation. Usually the negotiations are done by professional diplomats representing the two or more countries prior to an endorsement made by their politicians. This has been the most common form of diplomacy for over 5000 years in human civilization. The ancient kings and emperors would send their diplomats bearing gifts to distant lands to establish stable relationships or in most

cases as a prelude to invasion. When Alexander the Great swept through Asia Minor, he instructed his Generals to act as diplomats to make a better impression. The mammoth Macedonian cavalry itself was a factor for intimidation, but diplomatic negotiations often had been helpful in claiming some kingdoms without any reprisal and Jerusalem is the most suitable candidate to substantiate this statement. However, Alexander’s conquest also illustrates yet another aspect of international diplomacy, failure. Upon receiving the news of the tremendous Macedonian advance Darius the Third opted for diplomacy. His negotiations would have been brutally dismissed had it been the Victorian Era. He offered his eldest daughter to the young conqueror but it failed. The failure of diplomacy confirmed the great battle which eventually led to the end of the once glorious Persian Empire and plunged Europe into what was known as the Hellenistic Period.

Centuries after this great spectacle, the Crusades proved to be one of the most important milestones in the history of mankind. Why? Well, I believe that it implemented a phenomenal change in the direction of international diplomacy. Until then the Western civilizations were all self-absorbed in their own medieval literature, art and most importantly the oppression under the Catholic Church. The Crusades threatened the reign of the Holy Roman Empire, but nevertheless the defeat in Constantinople led to the Renaissance in Europe which gave birth to scientific enlightenment. It would be preposterous to say that science and politics followed two different paths in the course of history. On the contrary, the scientific enlightenment had a tremendous impact on Politics. International diplomacy took a new course, one that would eventually plunge the world into an era of Imperialism where exploration and colonization became the priorities of the state. The ancient Eastern civilizations founded science and they documented it in scrolls. This knowledge eventually went into the hands of the West who literally improvised the theoretical knowledge by putting it to practice and they saw the dawn of a new era. The gradual exploitation of the East would inevitably reveal more secrets or so they believed and this was supposed to be a slow process. However, the unforeseen Crusades happened to sharp shoot the process. It was actually a race between the Christian kingdoms and the newly

formed Islamic empire. Who would conquer the East first? The race would decide who would thrive in the New Era. This seemingly enigmatic question plunged the Western Europeans into a novel era of Exploration via navigation. The world’s largest sea battle had begun. Some of the finest diplomats sailed in these ships, their hearts bound to their sovereign kings and queens with pride and commitment. The Spaniards, the French, the British, the Portuguese and the Dutch conquistadors sailed the oceans wide with honor, for they were doing God’s bidding or so they believed. Thus the globalization of Diplomacy found its long awaited manure to thrive on. However, the hasty political advancement had its unintended consequences, war at a global level.

In politics perception is reality, therefore nothing is ever enough. Lust for power has been characteristic of humans for thousands of years. Imperialism dictates, ‘The more the land, the more the power,’ and this was a guideline for every diplomat who sailed in these ships, a guideline which boosted their morale and resulted in the fierce loyalty to the king and the state. These diplomatic conquistadors returned home with trunks full of gold and diamonds. Their feats were rewarded with knighthoods and nobilities. Unbeknownst to them the states were preparing for war, a series of wars that were bound to change the very fabric of nature, one that would diminish the old world, thus giving way to a new world where the virtues that were once valued undergo rapid deterioration.

Today, the present hardly has the reminiscence of the glorious past. We have come a long way since imperialism and virtues of the old world have lost their values, in fact we have emerged into a colourless era with the essence of insecurity bubbling out of every corner of the world. World politics of the present day is garnished with novelty. Novel variants of democracy have emerged since the end of the Second World War. ‘Still water runs deep,’ or so says the old English proverb, likewise what lies underneath this democracy is cataclysmic, it uses democracy as a mask to legitimatise itself in order to thrive in a world where greed and thirst for power is overwhelming. What is this? This ladies and gentlemen is none other than corruption which now is highly institutionalised. However, most politicians deny the existence of this corruption within the perimeters of their states. This is because of the self–image that they endeavor to

persist even at the expense of their own countrymen. How does this affect diplomacy? The affect is phenomenal. I believe that diplomacy should manipulate politics. This leads to the inevitable formation of healthy relationships between two nations. The ancient world thrived upon this theory. An Ambassador is probably the best example for a plenipotentiary; a properly groomed, well dressed and highly educated gentleman with abundant knowledge on international diplomacy. He may be a mere pawn on a chess board, but a serial chess player would know that often times a well-placed pawn is more powerful than a king. A plenipotentiary of such proportions carries the responsibility of protecting the reputation of his country upon his shoulders. Therefore I believe it isn’t incorrect to say ‘not everybody can be a diplomat’. In the case of a government whereby politics is often manipulated by diplomacy, the plenipotentiary is probably the most valuable asset of the political hierarchy. The result is more than satisfactory, the number of allies continue to grow with almost every diplomatic conversation.

However, when politics begin manipulating diplomacy what follows is the systematic deterioration of the prosperity, virtues and everything else of the country. History provides us with vivid examples to substantiate this claim; probably the best example would be the Ribbentrop – Molotov Pact. Joachim von Ribbentrop was a gentleman, but with poor knowledge on diplomacy, almost nothing. Despite it Adolf Hitler naively believed that Ribbentrop a former champagne baron would know something about international diplomacy. On the contrary I believe that Adolf Hitler made the choice on purpose knowing such a person could be subjected to convenient manipulation. Thus, Ribbentrop became an errand boy in a diplomatic disguise, thoroughly manipulated by the fuehrer. The puppet diplomat went to the Kremlin with an agenda. The result was beneficial to both the USSR and the Third Reich but hazardous to Poland. Poland being the object of the diplomatic discussions ceased to exist after that. The triumph however, came with its unintended consequences, a globalized war that led to the extinction of the Third Reich, and the diplomatic errand boy got a date with the hangman.

The irremediable calamity is that this catastrophic manipulation continues to exist today. The manipulation seemingly is at a climax. The manipulation of diplomacy has unleashed a chain of destructive events that could lead to another global war, only this time it could be the last. Why do I believe so? Well, the answer is nothing short of simple. In the 21st century we are in a nuclear era. The measure of power for the most part is dependent on the possession of nuclear weapons. This is the reality of the 21st century. International diplomats who usually go in for these so called negotiations have but a minute role to play because they are highly restricted by their political masters who play the tune to which the diplomats dance. Politicians deny this, but instead blame it on the inefficiency of the plenipotentiaries.

The political manipulation is probably due to the desire for power. When it comes to power, nothing is ever enough; acquiring power often requires the suppression of another. This is true about Africa, for decades this continent has suffered tremendous suppression because the soil bears the elements of power. These are not just oil, but also diamonds, gold and other precious gifts of nature. Surprisingly these countries despite possessing such an enormous quantity of natural resources continue to decay in an array of conflicts. This may seem as a mystery, but when the mud settles it becomes as clear as day. The analysis is one of immense simplicity. The United Nations and many other organizations send them aid in enormous proportions, but the damages seem irremediable. Plenipotentiaries are flown into these conflict zones for negotiations that are supposed to cease conflicts, but they persist, hence the diplomatic efforts are a constant failure. Well, there is a concealed crisis unbeknown to the diplomat. The politicians who manipulate him have a hidden agenda, the longer the conflicts persist the better it is for them, and therefore they fuel the conflict by taking biased decision, and at the end of the day the conflict zones continue to lose huge portions of their natural wealth.

I think it is fairly reasonable to state that modern diplomacy has failed its cause.

There is a phrase: Yesterday was history, tomorrow is a mystery but today is a gift and that’s why it has received the name present.

The question is ‘Will there be a tomorrow?’ I believe it would remain as a rhetorical question, but at least this much could be said, humans as the highest beings of the hierarchy have had the ability to thrive for many millennia. However, in the present day where the fate of the entire globe depends on politics, the misconception of diplomacy and its corrupt manipulation has threatened our ability to thrive and when one fails to thrive he is usually driven into extinction.

Indeed today is a gift, because we are granted time to change, and it is a point to ponder.

By: Visith Risira Dantanarayana