Yellow banner with pen and letters

Author: Ivo Andric

Who are diplomats?

2002

Many remember Ivo Andric for his Nobel Prize for Literature. He is also remembered as a diplomat with over 20 years of experience. In his note on diplomacy, published here for the first time in English with the kind permission of the Andric Foundation, Andric describes who the diplomat is, and the qualities that those devoting themselves to diplomacy ought to have.
book-knowledge.jpg

It seems to me that there are more “failed people” in the diplomatic service of every country, than in any other profession, people who have stumbled through the wrong door and now no one can escort them out and they themselves cannot find the exit and go back. In other walks of life such a “lost” person is unnoticed, he sings in the choir, which he does not help but nor does he harm it, so his voice and his ear cannot be appraised. In the diplomatic service circumstances oblige the majority of people sooner or later to act independently, to show who they are and what they can do.

I have not read much that has been written about the diplomatic profession, but everything I have read has seemed to me superficial and inadequate. And I would find it very difficult to have to give a specific definition and describe the basic characteristics of this calling. I could only say something about it in a negative way. And only on the basis of experience.

It is not only that diplomacy “is not for everyone”, but one can say unreservedly that only a small number of people really have the gift and vocation for this work. It is, of course, far harder to say what those people are like and what they ought to be like. But, let us try.

They are people of sound but straightforward intelligence, people of simplified and limited sensitivity and a cool heart, but not without heart or any sensitivity; capable of deception, but not closed and mysterious, still less underhand; strong, but not rough; quick and decisive, but not hasty or impulsive; realistic, sober, but not dry and dull.

They need to know a certain amount, but there should be no trace of erudition or pedantry in what they know, and their knowledge should agreeably surprise and perhaps impress those with whom they are speaking, but never embarrass, offend or shame them.

It is the same with their courage: they need to have it, and it should be sound and reliable, but they should display it only in extreme circumstances and bear it as they bear arms which everyone knows they have, but are never seen.

They must also have imagination, but only in a certain degree, enough for a man to see every issue from every point of view and with all its possibilities and immediate consequences; anything more than that is both dangerous for them and damaging to the work they are doing.

Who could confirm and list everything that those who wish to devote themselves to this service ought to be?

They should be versatile and straightforward. Not arrogant, but naturally self-assured, even at times proud; they should not despise small details (never, in any circumstances!) but they should know how to stay somewhere on the borderline of pettiness and pedantry; they should be conscientious in everything, but without excessive zeal; value the moment and always make use of it, but also know how to leave time to have its effect; they should have many, varied interests in people, objects, art, games and entertainments, but not surrender themselves to passion or the intimacy in which a man completely forgets himself; they should be a bit human, and never inhuman; ready for everything and capable of anything, but not heartless or monsters.

That means, in effect: living constantly on two levels, the personal, human one and the official, inhuman one, but never in any way showing or betraying to anyone on which level you are at any given moment, or better still: not yourself being completely aware of it, which is the surest way of not betraying yourself.

In a word, you need to be a person of a particular kind without appearing to be, but always and in everything to give the impression of an ordinary, average man. You need to have a hundred abilities, but strictly controlled in many different ways. In general one could say of people of this kind that their ability lies more in a good and proper balance between different qualities than in the value of those qualities themselves. So that, roughly speaking, while each of those qualities is average, the whole that they constitute should be original and above average.

There is much else besides that one should be—and not be—in this profession. Everything that has been said about it and which could still be said may be more or less accurate, but it would be mistaken to think that this would be sufficient or that it is something that can be defined briefly and simply, once and for all, for everyone. But one thing is certain: if an individual does not have at least some of the main qualities listed even residually in his temperament, character and upbringing and is not capable of developing them and applying them in a practical way in the course of his work—it would be better for such a person never to enter the profession.

However, it is just the kind of profession that has external, brilliant facets which both attract and deceive people. For this reason it contains, more than any other profession, people who have stumbled through the wrong door. That is a great misfortune both for the service and for themselves. A mistake in the choice of vocation is paid for in all professions, but nowhere so dearly as in the diplomatic service.

Whoever does not pass the test demanded of him by the profession will become a comic and pathetic figure in a service for which he is not suited but from which he cannot free himself, a wreck which carries on floating for a long time. That poisons the life and undermines the soul and creates wretches of a particular kind. This unusual and unusually difficult profession, which, in the most auspicious circumstances, drains and deforms people, can turn them into misanthropic misfits and potential suicides.

That is how the matter looks schematically, but of course this scheme is somewhat artificial and even within it there are not many striking instances of either successful or unsuccessful diplomats, while there is a whole scale of those who move between those two extremes. Half-successful, quarter-successful. Those who after their first failures had the strength or the skill or the luck not to sink, but to find their place. And the opposite, those who had a brilliant beginning, but did not manage to retain their place and now live from their previous glory and wait in the shadows of a humbler position for a better opportunity which fails to appear.

And all this seethes and shifts in a constant race and competition for success and recognition, in fear of professional misfortune, envy and accident which may lie round the corner. For in this service, which appears more uniform and rigid than any other, there is nothing constant or certain: a person moves as though through a mist in which the light which glimmers intermittently bewilders and deceives the eyes more than it shows the path and enables a person to find his way.

About Ivo Andric

Ivo Andric was born in Travnic, Bosnia, in 1892. Before the First World War he studied Slavic languages and history in Zagreb, Vienna and Krakow. His university studies were interrupted by the outbreak of the war, during which he was sentenced to three years in prison for his involvement with a nationalist, anti-Austrian organisation. After the war Andric continued his studies in Graz, where he completed his doctorate in 1924.

From 1920 to 1941 Andric served as a diplomat representing the newly established Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later to become Yugoslavia). He was posted to various European capitals, and prior to Germany’s invasion of Yugoslavia, in 1941, as Yugoslav Ambassador to Berlin. In 1941 Andric returned to Belgrade.

Andric began writing poetry before the First World War and published several collections of short stories between the wars. His best known works of fiction were written in Belgrade during the Second World War and published in 1945: Na Drini Cuprija (The Bridge on the Drina), Travnicka Hronika (Bosnian Story) and Gospodjica (The Woman from Sarajevo). Most of Andric’s works are set in Bosnia and describe the people and history of this multiethnic region where for centuries eastern and western influences have met. In 1961 Andric was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, “for the epic force with which he has traced themes and depicted human destinies drawn from the history of his country.1

This note on diplomacy, published here for the first time in English with the kind permission of the Andric Foundation, is taken from Andric’s Notes. It was translated into English by Celia Hawkesworth.

NOTES

1https://nobelprizes.com/nobel/literature/1961a.html

icon for right PDF

You may also be interested in

ModernDiplomacy.jpeg

A diplomatic analogy: International functionaries and their privileges

Although many have grappled with the question of what privileges and immunities international officials should enjoy, no satisfactory theoretical framework has evolved. This paper discusses how the issue evolved over time, how extensive the problem is and why the response been so ineffectual and the resolution been so intractable.

ModernDiplomacy.jpeg

The role of the legal adviser in modern diplomatic services

The role of the legal adviser in modern diplomatic services. This paper discusses the role of the legal adviser in modern diplomacy services and the efforts that must go into preserving all possibilities, meagre as they may be, to raise his voice and keep making efforts which eventually could lead in the right direction.

book-knowledge.jpg

Who are diplomats?

Many remember Ivo Andric for his Nobel Prize for Literature. He is also remembered as a diplomat with over 20 years of experience. In his note on diplomacy, published here for the first time in English with the kind permission of the Andric Foundation, Andric describes who the diplomat is, and the qualities that those devoting themselves to diplomacy ought to have.

umcrest.png

The role of diplomatic missions in Open Government

The purpose of this research paper is to assess the degree to which Open Government values and principles are being implemented by the diplomatic missions of Moldova and Malta, particularly in regards to their work with civil society and citizens' participation in policy-making.

kishan_s_rana.png

Diplomatic Education

Diplomatic Education’ was published as Chapter 11 in: An Anthology Celebrating the Twentieth Anniversary of the Higher Colleges of Technology, ed. Tayeb A Kamali, (HCT Press, UAE, 2007).

Diplomacy_and-Technology_illustration_1200x628_Prehistory.png

Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities

The text discusses the distinctions between privileges, immunities, and facilities in the context of diplomatic relations. It explains how privileges exempt diplomats from certain laws, while immunities protect them from legal processes in the receiving state. Diplomatic facilities are provided to aid in the duties of diplomatic missions. The history of diplomatic privileges and immunities is traced from ancient times to modern diplomacy, highlighting the role these concepts play in international relations. The text also touches on the evolution of diplomatic practices, from the Renaissance to...

Palestinian-Representation-and-the-Struggle-for-Statehood.png

Palestinian Representation and the Struggle for Statehood

Abstract: Palestinian national identity evolved as Palestinians came under the rule of a colonial power with an agenda whose aim contradicted their very existence as a nation. Quickly, Palestinian political activists realized that forming a uniting and unified representative body that could engage the international and regional players was a political and practical requirement for the achievement of their national aspirations. But with the formation of the first Palestinian representative body, the struggle for independence began and with it, the crucial battle for recognition.

jk.png

Knowledge management and diplomacy

In this paper we aim to provide a comprehensive introduction to the topic of knowledge management in diplomacy. First we provide working definitions of knowledge and knowledge management, and examine the evolution of the concepts. Next, we consider specific features of diplomacy that affect and limit the way knowledge management can be implemented. Then we look at specific techniques which diplomacy can adapt from the business sector in the field of knowledge management. Finally, we consider some important questions related to human resources and knowledge management.

mw117083.jpg

Report of the Review Committee on Overseas Representation

The Review Committee on Overseas Representation's report focuses on enhancing global presence and efficiency, recommending streamlining of processes, increased coordination between offices, and leveraging technology for better communication.

ModernDiplomacy.jpeg

The Yugoslav diplomatic service under sanctions

Sanctions adversely affect all the structures of the state and society, and render difficult, if not impossible, the normal operation of services, including the Foreign Service.This paper discusses the challenges faced by the Yugoslav diplomatic service when the country was under sanction.

ModernDiplomacy.jpeg

Who needs diplomats? The problem of diplomatic representation

This paper discusses the problem of diplomatic representation. Diplomats should remind themselves and others that they are first and foremost the representatives of sovereign states, that this is their raison d’être and a precondition for anything else they might aspire to be or to do. This might require an adjustment in their professional orientation but not a transformation.

kishan_2004.png

Performance Management in Foreign Ministries: Corporate Techniques in the Diplomatic Service

The text discusses the implementation of corporate performance management techniques within foreign ministries to improve efficiency and effectiveness in diplomatic services.

g_r_berridge.jpg

British Heads of Mission at Constantinople, 1583-1922

British Heads of Mission at Constantinople from 1583 to 1922 is a detailed account of the diplomatic representatives representing Britain in the capital of the Ottoman Empire over a span of over three centuries. The book delves into the challenges, successes, and significant events faced by these diplomats during this time period, shedding light on the political dynamics and diplomatic relations between the two nations.

ModernDiplomacy.jpeg

From parallel to dual careers: Diplomatic spouses

This paper provides a brief summary of the main issues relevant to the contemporary role of diplomatic spouses and its future in the contemporary European context. It outlines some of the measures being introduced by Foreign Services to respond to the changing role and position of spouses.

Foreign.png

Consular Services Annual Report 2008/09

The Consular Services Annual Report 2008/09 showcases the work and assistance provided to citizens in need during the specified period.