What are foreign affairs?

Foreign affairs are in everyone’s mouth when we deal with international issues. And here we’re going to see what they are.

Today, I want to speak to you about foreign affairs. Usually, it is mistaken by other similar concepts, such as foreign relations, foreign policy, and so on. However, some differences sometimes are subtle but meaningful. So, it’s time to put this concept in plain words to see what makes it different, and how to use it properly.

To perform this task comprehensively, we need to take a look at some historical events that made possible the development of this concept. That is important because it will allow us to see its origins, but also to grasp it and its most relevant nuances. In this way, we will know what makes it different.

First of all, we have to stress the fact that this concept has its origins in the late Middle Age. And it is related to the development of the principle of territoriality.

During the medieval age, the existence of an array of personal bonds in the western elite was crucial for its political organization. No one had an exclusive right on a specific land. On the contrary, they used to share rights on different lands and their inhabitants. For this reason, we can’t speak about foreign affairs. There were many limitations to the authority of every lord. They shared not only lands but also vassals. In fact, there wasn’t a clear hierarchy.

So, authority was scattered across the personal bonds that shaped the western elite. I mean by these blood ties, but also alliances, loyalties, compacts, friendships, and so on. They articulated the political organization of the western Medieval Age. They prevented western lords from developing a territorial notion for centuries.

Nevertheless, the political stage changed considerably after the Carolingian empire. The political fragmentation across western Europe boosted competition, and as a result, a consistent struggle for controlling resources, especially lands. Aside from the emperor and the pope, every political actor tried to claim an exclusive right on their lands. That meant a critical change in the long run, especially regarding the birth of the modern State. It contributed to introducing the principle of territoriality, and the resulting notion of the existence of an inner and an external realm.

In this respect, I have to mention the remarkable role of the quarrels between the pope and the emperor. This struggle for the political supremacy in the Christendom, led to different actors, especially kings, to take advantage of this situation to strengthen their position in their realms. They obtained concessions from the pope that paved the way to the political supremacy. That’s the case of the pope Innocent III, who declared the king of France, Philip II, was emperor in his kingdom. In this way, this king stopped having any superior and could claim his exclusive authority on his territory.

That also explains the evolution of the term foreign. In the mid-13th century evolved from the Old French forain, “outer, external, outdoor, remote,” that reflected the sense of “not in one’s own land.” That is important because it shows a change in the geographical gaze of the western elite, and also in the political culture that shaped their mindset.

The beginning of the territorial principle had its roots in the Middle Age. Still, it wasn’t until the early modern age when it was born as such. Its birth has a relation with the initial development of diplomacy in the 15th century. There was, at that time, an idea of the existence of an external realm where relations between different political units took place.

Nevertheless, the management of these relations with other kingdoms was developed by an ad hoc diplomatic corps. Western countries didn’t have yet the means to afford this task permanently.

In any case, by the early modern age, most rulers were aware of the existence of an external realm where they interact with other countries and sovereigns. Since then on, these interactions and all related to them were considered foreign affairs. Therefore, foreign affairs refer to the management of relationships and dealings between countries.

Due to the characteristics of politics at the outset of modernity, foreign affairs were in the crown’s jurisdiction. They were part of the king’s prerogatives. With the pass of time, the management of these affairs was modernized. The emergence of a professional diplomatic corps is evidence of this. Hence, foreign affairs have much to do with diplomatic activity, and with the management of the country’s interactions with other nations.

So, the distinction between an inner and external realm was set by the principle of territoriality. And it gave birth this reality conformed by foreign affairs as such. It was the consequence of the existence of political authorities within a geographical area in which they claimed their exclusive right to rule.

We can’t dismiss the evolution of this concept in the last centuries. But its essence hasn’t changed, and it still refers to those issues that happen outside the sovereign realm. Actually, it’s very usual to identify it with foreign relations, but they are not the same thing.

It’s common to confuse it by using it as a synonym of foreign relations, but also as foreign policy or international relations. The difference may be slight, but it exists. So, foreign affairs refer to those matters of any country that happen outside its borders. They have to do with foreign policy and diplomacy, but they are not the same. Indeed, foreign policy and diplomacy are different things, but they both may be considered part of foreign affairs. And something similar happens with foreign relations. They also have to do with foreign affairs. Still, they refer to the interactions of any country in the international sphere. So, foreign affairs is a broader concept. However, it always refers to those issues that a country has to deal with in the external realm.

It’s impossible to make clear the distinction of foreign affairs and other similar terms in a single short article. But I expect to address this matter in forthcoming episodes by analyzing, one by one, what they mean and their differences.

 

Question of the day

 

Question of the day! Do you think foreign affairs have a real impact on your daily life? Post your opinion in the comments section below, and I’ll check it out.

Bibliography used:

Strayer, Joseph, On the Medieval Origins of the Modern State

Strayer, Joseph, Medieval Statecraft and the Perspectives of History

Gilbert, Felix (ed.), The Historical Essays of Otto Hintze

Tilly, Charles, Coercion, Capital, and European States: AD 990-1992

Mann, Michael, The Sources of Social Power

Poggi, Gianfranco, The Development of the Modern State

Anderson, M. S., The Origins of the Modern European State System 1494-1618

Spruyt, Hendrik, The Sovereign State and its Competitors

Le Goff, Jacques, La Baja Edad Media

 

 

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