This unit provides an introduction to the theory and practice of modern diplomacy. It draws on the diplomatic practices of the major powers, with a particular focus on American diplomacy and foreign policy, but also examines examples from the Asia-Pacific and Europe. The unit covers the historical evolution, context and legal framework of diplomacy, the key functions it plays, the place of multilateralism and of coercion in contemporary diplomacy and the way in which globalization is and is not changing modern diplomacy. The unit concludes with three case studies which put the ideas examined earlier in the unit into specific experiences. These change from year to year, in 2013 it will examine the end of the Cold War, the 1999 bombing of Kosovo and the decision to invade Iraq in 2003.

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