ABSTRACT
Modern diplomacy was the product of the insecure world of Renaissance Italy, with its constant changes within and between states and the consequent need of rulers for regular, reliable information from representatives on the spot. The Italian and German wars of the first half of the sixteenth century fostered the spread of resident diplomacy and of chanceries capable of supporting rulers in the execution of foreign policy. The practice of holding congresses for the settlement of matters arising out of wars which involved a number of states, whether judged by the manner or by the outcome of their negotiations, should take a place among the civilized practices of the age. Amsterdam supplied ships for commerce and war to other European countries. Dutch contractors controlled much of the supply of hemp for sails and of tar for caulking from the Baltic.
