The Foreign Service Journal - December 2017

26 DECEMBER 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL mined American foreign policy in the mid-20th century. The unprecedented expansion of America’s global presence, and its underlying internationalist goals (including democratiza- tion and free trade), required a more skilled, highly organized, professionalized diplomatic corps. Professionalization occurred across all areas of society during the 20th century (medicine, law, education, etc.), but it was especially pronounced in the field of diplomacy. The technically trained and carefully vetted representative of the state supplanted the aristocrat-turned- diplomat of old. Governments, including the United States, built large bureaucracies to train and organize the work of men (and eventually women) hired full-time to manage different elements of each nation’s foreign activities in trade, travel, military affairs, education and other matters. The new professional Foreign Ser- vice officers were selected on merit (usually through competitive examinations); they were highly trained (often with advanced degrees); and they were specialized (by field or region). The professionalized diplomacy of the 20th century domi- nated the Cold War, and it continues to shape the post-Cold War world, although the traditional power of the Department of State has been diminished as the military has taken up more and more space in the foreign policy arena. American diplomats (George Kennan, Averell Harriman, Dean Acheson, Henry Kissinger, and many others) were at the center of U.S. policymaking, as were their Western European, Soviet, Chi- nese, Japanese and postcolonial counterparts. Since at least 1945, every major country has strived to hire, train and employ the most skilled professional diplomats for a variety of tasks, including: economic cooperation, counterterrorism, cultural exchange and conflict management. Vive la Difference One of the most striking things about the results of our survey of diplomatic services in eight key countries is how different Fostering Strategic Thinking in the French Foreign Ministry The French see themselves as missionar- ies for their revolutionary ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity. French diplomats believe that they invented the modern art of diplomacy in the 16th century. They seek not only to secure the interests of the French state, but also to promote these ideals through public diplomacy and other forms of “soft power.” They do so in a relationship between posts and capital that seems to be unique: French diplomats are empowered to take stances that are consistent with the government policy without having to return to base at every juncture. This flexibility has allowed diplomats to command conversations rather than react to the positions of others. Thus, France has gained success in the international community by consistently leading conversations and directing dialogue. —From“Developing Diplomats: Comparing Form and Culture Across Diplomatic Services,” Country Report: France, pp. 59-77. Max12Max (ownwork) [CCBY-SA4.0],viaWikimediaCommons The official entrance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Quai d’Orsay in Paris, France.