History of Development of Diplomacy

By : Faiz Hendra Kusuma/I92218076

Introduction
              According to the Oxford English Dictionary, diplomacy is a series of management of
international relations through negotiations that are in accordance with international law and
run by international actors both state and non-state. In its development, diplomacy has a long
history. Even diplomacy has been carried out since BC. In the course of diplomacy activities
experienced various challenges both procedures and issues that became the subject of
negotiations. This is in line with the development of human civilization so that the
complexity of diplomatic practices in the world.
The Mesopotamian Period
              During the mesopotamia, diplomatic activities can be seen from the economic
activities of the people who have imported goods from outside neighboring countries, namely
the Eastern Mediterranean and Egypt . At that time diplomacy was more towards the
economy with a lot of economic activity between the countries around Mesopotamia. In
addition to the Mesopotamian economy, diplomacy in the cultural field is also carried
out. Evidenced by the similarities in several cultures between the two countries. But most
importantly during the Mesopotamian period Egyptian kings carried out diplomacy in the
form of security warnings. So at that time the model rather than its diplomacy could be
described as a means of securing the activities of the citizens of the state.
              Greek mythology is still thick which believes in the existence of a god that is Zeus as
the king of the gods. Hermes as a god who receives diplomatic missions symbolizes a god
who has a charming, deceptive, and clever nature. Even in the aftermath of this type of Greek
diplomacy is often associated with this clever and deceptive 1. In ancient Greece diplomats
were called " Proxenos " which literally had an intermediary meaning. Such positions are
usually passed down in certain families in Greece. At that time there were also state envoys
whose job was to deliver messages to other countries. King Darius the Great of Persia once
sent messengers to a number of cities in Greece. The aim was to convey the message that the
cities be subject to Persian rule.
Roman Byzantine Period
              Eastern Roman or Byzantium showed his skill in diplomacy. Byzantium was the first
to organize a foreign department to deal with foreign affairs. Because at that time it was still
in times of war, Byzantium also conducted diplomacy to survive. They spread the seeds of
hostility to countries that have the potential to become enemies. By pitting the Byzantium can
last longer as a civilization. Besides that, Byzantium also tried to control the border tribes by
spreading Christianity.
The period after the Renaissance
              After the renaissance the development of science began to develop due to the
dominance of the church which began to decline. The licensing of the teachings of the church
which had been forced to begin to be abandoned. This also impacts on the role of diplomats

1
. S.L. Roy, Diplomasi (Jakarta: Rajawali Pers, 1991), Hlm 53.
as state representatives in other countries. At this time the development of diplomacy was
divided into three periods, namely Italy, France, and Modern.

1. Italy
For some reason the first modern diplomacy in the Italian city states. The reason is
because they stand outside the feudal system, so they try to establish relations with
other countries. During this period the placement of permanent messengers
gradually became a mode. The first recorded case was an embassy sent by the
Duke of Milan to Genoa in the middle of the 15th century.
2. France
In the French period, diplomacy began to become an important institution for
carrying out domestic government. The French period the government began to
give a serious note to its diplomats about his country or the country where he was
stationed. Francois Callieres published his great work De la maniere de negocier
avec les souverains in 1716 which became one of the books on good diplomatic
guidance. According to him, good diplomacy is not because of our ingenuity, we
see a gap for pitting sheep, but diplomacy must be based on mutual trust.
3. Modern
In the modern era, international law began to be embraced as a law regulating that
there would be no war between the countries. But the presence of World War 1
illustrates that war is indeed difficult to avoid. Then after World War 1 countries
began to build relations again through other interests. Until finally the world war 2
happened again, whose background was the spread of ideology.
Conclusion
              The long history of diplomacy makes the study of diploma very interesting to
discuss in the study of international relations. As one of the representations of the state,
diplomacy is at the forefront in relations with other countries. From the length of history also
gave birth to a lot of works that can then be used as references in the present. In ancient times
diplomacy was carried out only as a person who delivered a message from the king. Fighting
between tribes and fighting for territory became the main goal of diplomacy. The number of
wars that occur causing casualties. Damage to the environment and state infrastructure is also
a bad impact of the practice of diplomacy in the past. But along with the times, diplomacy is
needed not only for a regional power. However, as more and more countries become actors,
mutual openness begins to exist in each country. Each country also has their own interests in
carrying out their diplomas.
References
Khazanah. Peran Diplomat Dalam Peradaban Kuno. [online] Diakses di
https://www.republika.co.id/berita/dunia-islam/islam-digest/17/08/25/ov8dp0313-peran-diplomat-
dalam-peradaban-kuno

Roy, S.L. 1991. Diplomasi. Jakarta: Rajawali Pers.

Salamah, Lilik. 2016. History of Diplomacy, Universitas Airlangga. 6 Agustus 2016. Masa
Yunani Kuno