The book covers the rise of modern professional diplomacy in Europe from its origins in the Renaissance to the First World War. It shows how, where and why the structures and practices of modern diplomacy developed. It also explores the ideas and aspirations that gradually took shape around these points of international contact: Foremost amongst these were: the extension of bilateral diplomatic negotiations into a wider regulatory mechanism for the conduct of international affairs; the concept of a balance of power, and the development and operation of the European States System; and the vision of some form of international organization that would end wars. The treatment is continent-wide, and the survey fills a major gap in the current historiography. Key Features There are many accounts of the international relations of the European states: this is the first modern study in English of the mechanisms, diplomatic services and foreign offices through which these relations were conducted. An important topic in its own right, it also sheds fresh light throughout on the politics of early-modern and 19th-century Europe, Synthesises a formidable body of often highly-specialized writing in all the major European languages.