Over the past 4000 years the implementation of diplomacy has developed and altered dramatically. From the empire of Sumer in Mesopotamia to the Italian renaissance to what we would consider our modern world of today diplomacy has been molded and transformed to compliment our changing society. The fundamental reason for diplomacy is the only thing that has not changed though. We still believe in our need for it.
If we take the term “new” diplomacy in comparison to “old” diplomacy the change is dramatic but this developed over a period of time and not over night as some seem to be under the impression. The most dramatic change seemed to come with the completion of the First World War as Europe changed their view of diplomacy in order to prevent further war as they believed that “old” diplomacy was the core reason for the war.
The development of the League of Nations was a momentous step in this transformation they were trying to create. It created a new playing field as such for public diplomacy and NGO’s. It was also the starting point for International Law as we know it today and the idea of globalization became firmly entrenched. In order for diplomacy to work globally the need for more openness was apparent and so secrecy at a state level lessened. The development of technology has created a world which is more informed as to what is taking place globally and so governments are now answerable to their people at a heightened level. This of course still requires a certain level of secrecy but is no where near as bad as it once was.
Of all the changes to diplomacy over the past 100 years I would say that the inclusion of organizations not directly connected to state diplomacy have had the largest impact.
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