@histodons

Today we want to introduce to you one of our #emdiplomacy dream teams: Markus Laufs and Christian Wenzel!

Markus Laufs currently works at the Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin, where he’s part of the team that reconceptualise the permanent exhibition and is responsible for the late Middle Ages and the early modern periond. His PhDthesis on practices of mediation at #earlymodern #peacecongresses is available as #openaccess (2/6)

https://www.vandenhoeck-ruprecht-verlage.com/themen-entdecken/geschichte/geschichte-der-fruehen-neuzeit/57711/in-viam-pacis?c=1541

@histodons @historikerinnen @earlymodern

The role of #peacecongresses in these processes of exchange was tackled twice: @LenaOetzel focused on the congress of #Westphalia, while Michael Brauer from Salzburg University looked at the congress of Vienna (1815).

Lena argued that the peace congress didn’t function as a special hub for the exchange of goods between the Austrian and the Spanish Habsburgs; they had their permanent ambassadors at the courts that dealt with this kind of exchange. But nonetheless the peace congress was a place of exchange, especially of food. For the Imperial estates the congress offered an unusual opportunity to get into contact to the greater European powers. Among others there did this by offering gifts, especially food. The count of Oldenburg e.g. gave away huge amounts of meat and fish and other delicacies in order to enhance his interests. (5/7)

#emdiplomacy #foodHistory #culinaryDiplomacy #congressDiplomacy #HolyRomanEmpire #ImperialEstates

@histodons @historikerinnen @earlymodern

Braun & Bechtold stress that diets were a diplomatic sphere sui generis, especially with regard to the ceremonial, that differed not only from courtly #diplomacy but also from #emdiplomcy at #peacecongresses, although both of course were points of references.
Furthermore, they ask for more comparative studies that compare the Imperial diet in its different forms as diplomatic spheres and places of international interaction with other assemblies of the estates, such as the Swiss Tagsatzung or the Polish Sjem.
Only the, can we understand the characteristics of #emdiplomacy at assemblies of the estates. (7/7)

#HRE #HRR #earlymodernDiet #PerpetualDiet #earlymodernEstates #EarlyModernEurope #emdiplomacy

@histodons @historikerinnen @earlymodern

Bechtold is writing his PhD thesis on English diplomats at Imperial diets in the 16th cent. Braun is professor for modern history in Mulhouse. He published extensively on #emdiplomacy and #peacemaking. He also edited a volume of the French correspondences from the #WestphalianPeaceCongress for the APW. More recently, his attention turned from #earlymodern #peacecongresses to the perpetual Imperial diet.

So, who could be better than these two to write the #handbook article on diets al diplomatic spheres! (3/7)

#HRR #PerpetualDiet #earlymodernDiet #earlymodern

@histodons @historikerinnen @earlymodern

From #peacecongresses we move on to assemblies of the estates as diplomatic spheres. For this we were able to pair up to scholars with different expertises: Jonas Bechtold from Bonn university and Guido Braun from the university of Mulhouse! (2/7)

#HRR #PerpetualDiet #earlymodernDiet

@earlymodern @womenknowhistory @historikerinnen @histodons

Oetzel argues that research has focussed for too long on the #WestphalianPeaceCongress and deduced from there to the later congresses. Thus, we need more (comparative) research on the earlier as well as the later congresses to understand #peacecongresses as a specific diplomatic sphere. Moreover, we should ask why were some peaces negotiated in a congress setting while others were still negotiated in a bilaterally. (6/6)

#emdiplomacy #peace #peacemaking #HistoricalPeaceResearch

@earlymodern @womenknowhistory @historikerinnen @histodons

Generally, the function of #peacecongresses changed over time. At first, their main purpose was to negotiate a peace. Later they became more a place where a peace agreement was proclaimed, represented and celebrate, while the main negotiations took place elsewhere at the courts. In the second half of the 18th century their purpose changed, too: The should no make peace, but prevent a new conflict. Of course, these different functions often overlapped. (5/6)

#emdiplomacy #diplomacy #peacemaking #HistoricalPeaceResearch #peace

@earlymodern @womenknowhistory @historikerinnen @histodons

She sees two reasons for this: the temporality of #earlymodern #peacecongresses (#negotiations could last between a few weeks & years) & the lack of a centre, which at courts was the prince, so that procedures, ceremonies etc had to be agreed upon anew for each congress. This is one of the reasons why especially the #WestphalianPeaceCongress took so long. There was no generally accepted precedence, thus one had first to negotiate how to negotiate. For the later congresses it was a bit easier, here #Westphalia was used as an example – however, not always as a positive one, but also, as a way how not to do it. (4/6)

#emdiplomacy #diplomacy #peacemaking #peace

@earlymodern @womenknowhistory @historikerinnen @histodons

#Peacecongresses are a phenomenon that developed strongly in the 17th century and their function changed over time. However, research still focuses mainly on the #WestphalianPeaceCongress, which overshadows all others until the #Congress of #Vienna in 1815.
So far, #congresses as spheres of #emdiplomacy have received little attention in research. Oetzel argues that they differed in many ways from other #diplomatic activities which were usually carried out in a courtly environment.

(3/6)