Doctorat en sciences sociales, politiques et économiques / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

In a survey conducted, as part of this research, 83,33% of participating South African diplomats indicated that the effects of cultural diversity and culture shock are underestimated. As South African diplomats are expected by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) to work effectively in a crosscultural environment abroad, the psychological disorientation caused by culture shock could have a negative effect when working and living abroad. Severe culture shock could cause a high level of strain, which could influence the ability of diplomats to adapt effectively abroad, including spouse or partner dissatisfaction resulting from culture shock depression. This could lead to a diplomat requesting to return to his or her home country, with the associated high financial costs. Cultural diversity training is defined by various authors as one aspect that could assist in minimising culture shock since training provides knowledge, insight and skills to deal with the negative effects of culture shock when deployed abroad. Furthermore, the South African Public Service Act [1994] requires that human resource managers within government departments, such as DIRCO, have the responsibility to ensure that staff are effectively utilised and trained. The question that subsequently directed this research was the following: What should be included in the curriculum of a training programme aimed at minimising culture shock among South African diplomats? The research assessed the current culture shock training programme at DIRCO against international best practice, and it was found that a cultural diversity training programme in culture shock should comprise specific fundamentals, components and defining attributes relevant to definitions and explanations on culture, culture-specific information, cross-cultural skills, conflict resolution and dealing with culture shock in terms of cultural diversity, which has the potential of reducing culture shock among South African diplomats effectively. This research also found that there appears to be a gap in the scholarly literature and knowledge within the field of Public Administration on the defining attributes of a cultural diversity training programme with the potential of reducing culture shock among diplomats. Ongoing research is encouraged and recommended in this particular field of study within the public sector. / Public Administration / D.P.A.

Les philosophes français des Lumières se sont évertués, notamment dans la deuxième moitié du XVIIIe siècle, à préciser les cas où l’inégalité et les limites de la liberté seraient conformes aux lois naturelles afin de proposer les préceptes permettant une vie sociale épanouie. Ce faisant, ils ouvrirent la voie à la formation des absolutismes éclairés qui trouvent leurs racines juridiques dans la théorie du droit naturel. Elaborée pour une large part par Voltaire qui la mettait directement en relation avec l’idéologie des absolutismes « classiques », l’idéologie des absolutismes éclairés avait pour but principal la création d’un Etat fort. Ayant accepté les propositions des philosophes les « rois philosophes » ou « monarques éclairés » fondèrent les justificatifs d’une telle politique sur la langue, la mode, et surtout sur la confiance dans un progrès que la France avait su promouvoir. / The French philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment, especially in the second part of the eighteenth century, endeavoured to specify the cases in which inequality and the limitations of freedom would be in accordance with natural laws in order to propose precepts for a blossoming life. By doing so, they opened the way to the formation of enlightened absolutism, a model of government that finds its legal foundations in the Natural Law Theory Developed largely part by Voltaire, who put it in the direct relation with the ideology of “classical” absolutism, the ideology of enlightened absolutism had as its principal goal the creation of a strong state. Having embraced the philosophers’ precepts, the “enlightened monarchs” or “philosopher kings” founded the evidence of such a policy on language, fashion, and especially on the confidence in a progress that France had been able to promote.

This thesis examines the theory of diplomacy in the formative phase of the European states-system. From the viewpoint of the discourse on the 'ideal ambassador', it explores early modern diplomacy as cultural history encompassing ideas, discourses, perceptions and 'codes'. The scope of study is the century following the Peace of Westphalia (1648), and three states and regions (France, Britain, the Holy Roman Empire) serve as case studies for a comparative approach of diplomatic theory and practice. In five parts, the adaptation of the theory and practice of diplomacy to the new demands of international relations after 1648 are considered. The first section sets the stage by illustrating that the mid-seventeenth century was regarded as a turning point in the practice of diplomacy. Part II examines diplomatic theory as a particular 'language' in its intellectual and socio-professional contexts. While published treatises on the 'ideal ambassador' build the core of this study, related genres of international law theory, ceremonial theory and political and state science are also taken into account. From the viewpoint of this diplomatic theory, the following section examines the ways in which the instruments and practices of diplomacy were aligned to the new framework. These ranged from changes in the structural framework of diplomacy to the evolution of norms and procedures of negotiation, international law and ceremonial. Part IV reconsiders the issue of 'professionalism' in diplomatic theory with regard to the preparation and training of diplomats. Special attention is given to proposals for diplomatic 'academies', which are for the first time examined in comparison. Finally, section V recasts the findings of this thesis in a comparative perspective. It underlines that, with the emergence of a states-system, the techniques of diplomacy became formalised and uniform, constituting a common European diplomatic practice. Against the background of the different regional and structural conditions, the alleged model role of France in the evolution of diplomatic theory and practice is re-evaluated.

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1 Mgr. Hana Králová Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Arts THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN FOREIGN SERVICE BETWEEN 1868-1918 Abstract Emerging from the reforms of the second half of the 18th century, the body of loyal civil servants gradually transformed itself into an efficient bureaucratic machine, which fully ensured the operation of the multinational Habsburg Monarchy until its disintegration. For many, a position within the civil service went hand in hand with attaining a certain prestige and rank within society, although the financial situation of lower and even mid - ranking civil servants was problematic at best. The foreign service, especially its diplomatic and central administration branch, undoubtedly ranked among the most prestigious parts of the civil service. Candidates, apart from being required to have the necessary level of educational attainment, were subject to a rigorous selection process focusing especially on their language skills. The diplomatic service also maintained its exclusivity by requiring candidates to provide proof of sufficient income, which limited access to candidates from among the wealthy elite, that is especially from among the traditional and new nobility a s well as from among the well-off individuals of bourgeois descent. The research has, however, also shown that...

British influence on the diplomacy of WWII, as it relates to postwar planning, is underappreciated. This work explores how the use of astute tactical maneuvering allowed Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden to impact the development of the post-war world in a greater degree than is typically portrayed in the narratives of the war. Detailing how the study of business negotiations can provide new insights into diplomatic history, Yalta exposes Britain’s impact on the creation of the post-war order through analyzing the diplomacy of WWII as a negotiation. To depict WWII post-war planning diplomacy as a negotiation means that the Yalta Conference of 1945 must be the focal point of said diplomacy with all the negotiations either flowing to or from the conference. This analysis reveals that Britain harnessed the natural momentum of the negotiation process to create bilateral understandings that protected or advanced their interests in ways that should not have been afforded the weakest party in the Grand Alliance. By pursuing solutions to the major wartime issues first and most stridently through the use of age-old British diplomatic tactics, they were able to enter into understandings with another member of the Grand Alliance prior to the tripartite conferences. Creating bilateral understandings with the Americans on the direction of military operations and the Soviets over the European settlement produced the conditions under which the tripartite negotiations transpired. Options available to the excluded party were thus limited, allowing for outcomes that aligned more favorably to British interests. A synthesis of diplomatic documents, diaries, and memoirs with historical writings as well as research on business and international negotiations brings to life the diplomatic encounters that led to the creation of the post-war order. To provide the reader a basis for analysis of wartime diplomacy, this work is broken down into two parts. Part I focuses on the strategies created for Yalta. Part II (future doctoral dissertation) will use these strategies to evaluate the performances of each party. Combined the two parts expose that British diplomatic maneuverings is an undervalued aspect of wartime diplomacy.