Early Modern European Diplomacy: A Handbook

For a long time diplomatic history has been regarded as conservative and lacking a theoretical foundation. This has changed profoundly in the context of the cultural turns. The so called New Diplomatic History has developed into one of the most dynamic and innovative areas of research - especially with regard to early modern history. Therefore, it is essential to present the current state of the art to a broader circle of recipients in a handbook.
The New Diplomatic History concentrates on permanent and ad-hoc diplomacy in the context of courts. This means that it does not capture the specific characteristics of congress diplomacy and diplomacy at Diets. Although congress diplomacy is not prominent within New Diplomatic History, the Westphalian peace congress nonetheless holds a special place in narratives of the development of early modern diplomacy. It is striking that the special case is used for theorizing and explaining the normal case. The specifics and characteristics of other forms, such as permanent or temporary embassies, are not recognised. The handbook aims to characterise these different manifestations of diplomacy and to contextualize them within on-going scientific debates.