COERCIVE DIPLOMACY THROUGH MILITARY INTERVENTION

The literature delivers many examples for the existence of a close relationship between diplomacy and the use of military force. Namely, over centuries, these tools have enabled the governments to press their agendas onto other states and have helped many to advance its different goals such as economic or political. Equally, as the diplomacy played a part in verbal communication, the military actions aimed to communicate other nations that any resistance to proposed agendas can be easily wiped out. Nevertheless, it seems like the time of coercive diplomacy has gone as most of states understood that dialogue and cooperation are a real source of power. Nowadays, diplomacy, with much more convincement, is perceived as a peaceful alternative to violence. However, opinions are divided between those who believe that world of diplomacy has matured and those who see the use of military force as inseparable from diplomatic environment (the USA and its military supremacy). Under this aspect, diplomacy has never and will probably never change. For instance, military actions, in case of humanitarian interventions, even though they aim to help citizens whose rights are violated by own states, still are labelled as coercive means.
Namely, states independently or in coalition try to influence effectively an intolerable behaviour of other state. Through the use of force some states try to make other state act in the way they would never do. This is not only the case of humanitarian intervention but also, more recently, the case of war against terrorism. In all of these cases national sovereignty is challenged by governments or by group of states which have concerns about how others manage their affairs. Indeed, this type of diplomacy can eliminate conflicts as well as it can create them.
Concluding, coercive diplomacy will continue to play a central part particularly in Western conflict management because the need to stop or undo undesirable actions remains a key challenge (Collins, 2007).

Sources:
Collins A., Contemporary Securities Studies, 2007, Oxford University Press
Kegley Ch.W., World Politics Trends and Transformations, 2008