Military Diplomacy Essay

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MILITARY DIPLOMACY Militaries, historically, are associated with achieving national aims and objectives in international relations through the use of force. In the 18th and 19th centuries the coercive use of militaries (and navies) by colonial powers led to coining of the term ‘gunboat diplomacy’ which refers to the pursuit of foreign policy objectives with the aid of conspicuous displays of military power, implying or constituting a direct threat of warfare. There have been numerous instances of peaceful use of military to further a nation’s international relations. This peaceful use of the military as a tool of national diplomacy led to the use of the term ‘military diplomacy’. Military diplomacy can be defined broadly as “all diplomatic activities relating to national security and military diplomatic activities,” thereby differentiating it from “political diplomacy” (or regular diplomacy) conducted by civilian politicians or diplomatic officials and other civilian officials (other than soldiers and military officials).The Britannica Concise Encyclopedia states that the goal of diplomacy is to further the state’s interests as dictated by geography, history, and economics. Safeguarding the state’s independence, security, and integrity is of prime importance, preserving the widest possible freedom of action for the state is nearly important. Beyond that, diplomacy seeks maximum national advantage without using force and preferably without causing resentment. Military diplomacy, more often than not, does not receive the attention that it merits. Where employed, it suffers from not being fully integrated with the nation’s overall foreign policy and diplomatic efforts. Anton du Plessis puts it very succinctly when he states: …defence diplomacy approximates a military adjunct to diplomacy rather than a distinct type of diplomacy. At one level, its importance in
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