Throughout 2013 the governments of the Austrian Republic and United States of America celebrated the 175th anniversary of diplomatic relations between them. This date marks the accreditation of ambassadors in 1838 but obscures the sixty-year prehistory, begun when the first American envoy reached Vienna in 1778. The Habsburg Monarchy became the last European Great Power to recognise the United States, but the reasons behind this also have eighteenth-century origins. The United States and the successor states to the Habsburg Monarchy, therefore, share a much longer, more complex and deeply entangled history stretching back to the American Revolution. This dissertation focuses on how and why attempts to formalise relations failed between these two states in the revolutionary and post-revolutionary period, something which, until now, has received little historical attention. This dissertation uncovers a neglected but illuminating story of US-Habsburg relations between 1763- 1789. In doing so it demonstrates the evolving nature of early modern diplomacy and the wider international struggle of the American founding. In both regards, this dissertation argues the economic motivation of economic agents and the role of personalities were the new and instrumental factors. What follows is a new history of the broader, much deeper impact of the American Revolution and the transatlantic entanglements of the Habsburg Monarchy. A history of a relationship which looks beyond 'desk diplomacy' and towards a more holistic interpretation of the attempted relations between unlikely states. To this end, this dissertation relies upon a broad base of archival material from personal papers to quantative data from both sides of the Atlantic.

In the decades following the Peace of Westphalia the foundations of what many consider modern diplomacy were formed. These foundations have been a popular topic for many historians, and extensive work has been made on Diplomatic Theory, and the ideals of what a diplomat should be within the field of new diplomatic history. However, the practices, performativity and persona of the diplomats still needs a deeper level of study, which is the main purpose behind this thesis. This thesis investigates the diplomatic practices in the early 18th century through the correspondence of a controversial Swedish diplomat by the name of Carl Gyllenborg. The controversy surrounding him was because of his involvement with a Jacobite plot to restore the house of Stuart on the British throne, which ultimately failed, called The Swedish Plot. By analysing his correspondence with another ambassador, Erik Sparre, the institutional, material and communicational practices of an early modern diplomat emerge.  What this thesis shows is the way Gyllenborg navigated both the expectations and obstacles inflicted upon diplomatic practices. Some of the obstacles he faced was neglect from his sovereign, which included a lack of a letter of credence, being considered an enemy at his assigned court, and lacking finances to fund his life as an ambassador. He managed to navigate these although lacking the necessities stated by Diplomatic Theory. Gyllenborg’s story brings too light the complexity of early modern diplomatic life which has been lacking in previous research.

This mini-dissertation examines the nexus between international co-operation in tourism and economic diplomacy through the lens of modern diplomatic practice. In this 21st century, characterised by globalisation, economic diplomacy is emerging as one of the ubiquitous mode of modern diplomatic practice in both the developed and developing nations. It takes many forms, such as negotiation of bilateral and multilateral trade regimes, establishing foreign economic relations, nation branding, attraction of foreign direct investment and promoting international tourism to pursue national development imperatives. This mini-dissertation focuses on one function of economic diplomacy, that of international co-operation in the field of tourism. This is a case study research design based on literature review, analysing the nature and character of the evolving economic diplomacy practiced through tourism co-operation between South Africa and China. The literature review indicates that there is an abundance of analysis on the significance, nature and conduct of economic diplomacy between South Africa and China and that economic diplomacy is central to their growing diplomatic ties since 2009. However, there is lack of understanding of tourism’s role in South Africa’s economic diplomacy architecture, meaning the exact role of tourism co-operation in advancing economic diplomacy remains undocumented in the mainstream literature discussing South Africa’s evolving economic diplomacy agenda. This lacuna has motivated this study and its findings will contribute to the body of knowledge on the evolving nature of modern diplomatic practice. This mini-dissertation investigates the extent to which economic diplomacy practiced through tourism co-operation advanced economic diplomacy between South Africa and China from 2009 to 2017. The nature of economic diplomacy practiced by South Africa through international tourism co-operation postulated in this mini-dissertation includes mainly four pillars: 1. Negotiation, signing and implementation of tourism co-operation agreements; 2. Representation of South Africa’s tourism interests in China; 3. Country branding and positioning to increase inbound tourism arrivals; and 4. Building business relations through tour operators to promote tourism. The four pillars constitute the central tenets of analysis in this study, with the key finding being that co-operation in tourism is emerging as a major constituent of the burgeoning economic diplomacy between South Africa and China. The report recommends a more focused research agenda on this theme of tourism co-operation in diplomacy studies and provides policy recommendations on how South Africa can strategically use this form of co-operation as an effective instrument of economic diplomacy. / Mini Dissertation (MA Diplomatic Studies)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / National Department of Tourism / Political Sciences / MA Diplomatic Studies / Unrestricted

This thesis is the first attempt to provide an assessment of Scottish-Jacobean foreign relations within a European context in the years before 1603. Moreover, it represents the only cohesive study of the events that formed the foundation of the diplomatic policies and practices of the first ruler of the Three Kingdoms. Whilst extensive research has been conducted on the British and English aspects of James VI & I's diplomatic activities, very little work has been done on James's foreign policies prior to his accession to the English throne. James VI ruled Scotland for almost twenty years before he took on the additional role of King of England and Ireland. It was in his homeland that James developed and refined his diplomatic skills, and built the relationships with foreign powers that would continue throughout his life. James's pre-1603 relationships with Denmark-Norway, France, Spain, the Papacy, the German and Italian states, the Spanish Netherlands and the United Provinces all influenced his later ‘British' policies, and it is only through a study such as this that their effects can be fully understood. Through its broad scope and unique perspective, this thesis not only contributes to Scottish historiography, but also strengthens and updates our understanding of Jacobean diplomacy. Furthermore, it adds to European perspectives of international politics by re-integrating Scotland into the narrative of late sixteenth century European diplomatic history.