1 Why diplomacy?
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Jennifer Mori
Abstract
Diplomacy has always been a lifestyle requiring its disciples to abandon some of the customary distinctions between public and private life. Diplomacy, as a profession, had a much higher social and political standing in Europe than in Britain, a fact attributable to the often direct involvement of ‘absolute’ monarchs, be it in terms of appointment, instruction, negotiation or policy formation. Prospects for social and political advancement were also open to those of genteel extraction who belonged to the kinship, friendship or clientage networks of powerful English political clans. Diplomacy, as this suggests, relies a good deal on the exercise of discretion, the morality of which accords poorly with an emerging code of public ethics that prioritized transparency and merit over secrecy and privilege.
Abstract
Diplomacy has always been a lifestyle requiring its disciples to abandon some of the customary distinctions between public and private life. Diplomacy, as a profession, had a much higher social and political standing in Europe than in Britain, a fact attributable to the often direct involvement of ‘absolute’ monarchs, be it in terms of appointment, instruction, negotiation or policy formation. Prospects for social and political advancement were also open to those of genteel extraction who belonged to the kinship, friendship or clientage networks of powerful English political clans. Diplomacy, as this suggests, relies a good deal on the exercise of discretion, the morality of which accords poorly with an emerging code of public ethics that prioritized transparency and merit over secrecy and privilege.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- Preface vii
- Abbreviations viii
- Introduction 1
- Part I: The structure of a service 17
- 1 Why diplomacy? 21
- 2 Entrance, training and promotion 41
- 3 Family, sex and marriage 62
- Part II: Of cabbages and kings 87
- 4 Etiquette and ‘face’ 91
- 5 Favourites and flunkeys 106
- 6 Gossips, networks and news 124
- Part III: Beyond the call of duty 149
- 7 The Grand Tour 151
- 8 From ancients to moderns 167
- 9 War, ethnography and religion 188
- Conclusion 211
- Appendix A Male diplomats, 1750–1830 219
- Appendix B Female diplomats, 1750–1830 227
- Select primary source bibliography 232
- Index 239
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- Preface vii
- Abbreviations viii
- Introduction 1
- Part I: The structure of a service 17
- 1 Why diplomacy? 21
- 2 Entrance, training and promotion 41
- 3 Family, sex and marriage 62
- Part II: Of cabbages and kings 87
- 4 Etiquette and ‘face’ 91
- 5 Favourites and flunkeys 106
- 6 Gossips, networks and news 124
- Part III: Beyond the call of duty 149
- 7 The Grand Tour 151
- 8 From ancients to moderns 167
- 9 War, ethnography and religion 188
- Conclusion 211
- Appendix A Male diplomats, 1750–1830 219
- Appendix B Female diplomats, 1750–1830 227
- Select primary source bibliography 232
- Index 239
