ABSTRACT

This chapter familiarizes readers with the historical justifications for the new diplomacy in the post-World War I period. It aims to understand the institutional legacy and limitations of the new diplomatic principles on current methods of international engagement. The concept of the 'new diplomacy' actually gained historical importance once introduced by the US President Woodrow Wilson towards the end of World War I. The chapter reviews the evolution of the three critical features of the new diplomacy: public accountability, self-determination, and collective security. It examines their impact on the role of modern diplomats. From a diplomatic perspective, collective security raises two important challenges. First, how to convince great powers to go along with it and second, what to do in case they refuse. From an ethical perspective, diplomats therefore struggle to bridge their role as the custodians of the international society with the domestic pressure to pursue narrowly defined national interests.