ABSTRACT
This chapter concerns diplomatic relations in the widest sense. Diplomacy in the service of international relations acknowledges the negative aspects of international anarchy and seeks positive steps in the potential for mediation. Though the type of diplomacy in evidence at the Congress of Vienna is a world removed from the multi-agent diplomacy of contemporary international relations, a code of professionalism continues through intellectual engagement in current affairs and the mosaic of cultural production. The Cold War established strained diplomatic relations between the United States and the former Soviet Union. Human psychology, the building of cautious networks, and the manipulation of relationships all demand schooling in a wide literature. In contemporary life, the removal of the diplomatic community, the closing of a mission or the withdrawal of Embassy staff is concomitant with a major international incident.
