Editors’ Note: Diplomacy: The Lifeblood of the International System

The SAIS Review Editorial Board

The Latin motto of the Diplomatic Corps, “Ex Amicitia Pax,” means “peace from friendship.” These wise words still ring true today and define the ideal of diplomacy. Throughout history, diplomacy has occupied a critical role in international affairs and remains a guiding principle for the international community. Every country relies heavily on diplomacy to ensure a prosperous future; it is often effective diplomacy that defuses disagreements between states and ineffective diplomacy that allow problems to fester and even to metastasize into open conflict.

Although diplomacy takes many forms—from formal treaties to back channel discussions, from military cooperation to humanitarian engagement— its elements are less defined. First, the results of diplomacy are often unclear. Peace may be the immediate upshot of diplomatic efforts; however, what is meant by “peace?” Is “peace” simply the absence of war, but an unfavorable situation? Does peace rest on a foundation of compromise? And who defines “peace?”—a question that the Roman historian Tacitus implicitly addressed in his observation that “they make a desert and they call it peace.”¹

Likewise, the purpose of diplomacy warrants consideration. Over two and a half thousand years ago, Sun Tzu, the Chinese military general and author of The Art of War, opined, “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”² Does this mean that diplomacy is not a peaceful approach, but rather, while being non-kinetic, a tool of warfare and a means by which to “subdue the enemy?”³ Moreover, while diplomacy between enemies is designed to solve problems off the battlefield, does engaging an ally through diplomacy necessitate an adversarial dynamic? In other words, when disagreements emerge, can diplomacy be friendly and collaborative?

The execution of diplomacy, too, poses difficulties. If a problem arises, should countries fall back on standard frameworks of diplomacy or should they seek new avenues of engagement? Should diplomacy focus on bilateral relations or, due to the increased connectivity of the international community, emphasize multilateral strategies and international fora? What rules—and whose rules— govern diplomacy? Additionally, if diplomacy does not achieve its desired result or precipitates unintended consequences, how does the diplomatic community reassess its tactics? To what extent can the execution of diplomacy improve?

It is also critical to consider the measurement of diplomacy. While many would agree that the United States possesses the greatest diplomatic power, this assessment begs a series of questions: What is the difference between US diplomatic power and that of any other country? What components are driving that difference? How does a country increase its diplomatic power, and how quickly does this process take? Furthermore, how much time and how many resources should countries allocate to diplomacy, and what form or forms should it take to maximize its effectiveness? And, looking ahead to the future, will there be new forms of diplomacy?

Diplomacy, therefore, while very real and necessary, is an elusive art. To that end, the practitioners of diplomacy must deftly navigate disagreements to advance their nation’s goals and to find ways to cooperate effectively with other nations. A cynical observer of diplomats might agree with Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, French statesman and senior diplomat of Napoléon Bonaparte, who once opined that “[a] diplomat who says ‘yes’ means ‘maybe,’ a diplomat who says ‘maybe’ means ‘no,’ and a diplomat who says ‘no’ is no diplomat.”⁴ But diplomats, ambassadors, and other nation state representatives are not eloquent deceivers, sent abroad to outwit and delude their counterparts for the advancement of their nation’s interests. They are their nations’ soldiers of peace and agents of collaboration. It is through diplomats that nation states establish relations, develop common ground, and, ultimately, save lives. Diplomats are the indispensable components of the international system, without whom our world would be a far less stable and safe place.

Volume 40, Issue 1 of the SAIS Review of International Affairs thus seeks to address the topic of diplomacy and its role in the 21st century and to discuss the means by which countries exercise diplomatic power and develop diplomatic capacity to achieve their...