The Nexus Between Public Diplomacy And Military Diplomacy In Foreign Affairs And Defense Policy

Essay from the year 2012 in the subject Politics - Topic: Peace and Conflict, Security, grade: 2,1, , language: English, abstract: Public Diplomacy by the idea was implemented approximately 100 years ago as a purely civilian part of diplomacy, which aimed to inform foreign populations and citizens about the goals of countries foreign policy by the use of information and cultural programs. In the meaning of the Clausewitz philosophy, that the war “is the continuation of politics by other means”, the military was always linked to the diplomacy but never part of it. On the other hand Military Diplomacy for a long period was just the business for military attaches and their mission was to be “...the Nation`s eye and ears abroad in the days before satellite photography and sophisticated electronic collection techniques.” Along with the changes in the international theatre, regarding constellation of alliances, goals of foreign policies and threat assumptions, the content of Public Diplomacy has changed and its targeted programs expanded. At the same time the understanding and definition of security changed its content since the collapse of the Iron Curtain and the breakdown of the Soviet Union. Nowadays the term of a comprehensive approach marks the definition of security. Security is now an interconnection between civilian and military means and approaches, whilst the use military force remains a last resort. Therefore programs and means from the areas of Military and Public Diplomacy received an increased attention and a more prominent status. For this reason this essay will try to show the close relation of modern defense strategies, policies and diplomacies. The guiding research question for this essay therefore shall be: Is there in modern Foreign Affairs and Defense Policy a relation between Military Diplomacy and Public Diplomacy, and if so what characterizes this relation? Along that line this essay will try to study the nexus between Public Diplomacy and Military Diplomacy with the assumption that International Relations and Defense Policy’s are aiming on overlapping areas, especially when it comes to diplomacy. The hypothesis therefore can be encapsulates: without naming it in official policy documents and without a focused strategy, an area developed recently where Public Diplomacy and Military Diplomacy are going along together with a common tool set. Hereby the special case study of the German Armed Forces are should prove that they are already practicing Public Diplomacy within their military posture since decades.