Foreign affairs

“Soft power” is the ability to obtain what one wants through co-option rather than the use of coercion.

It was first coined by Joseph Nye of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in the late 1980s and is now widely …

“Quiet diplomacy” refers to one state’s efforts to influence the behavior of another state through discreet negotiations or actions.

Quiet diplomacy operates behind the scenes and may rely on back channeling rather than on public talks. It may also involve …

“Peace at any price” is a phrase closely associated with the politics of appeasement, and especially with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and his diplomatic approach to Hitler’s Germany. It was once used as a positive term, but became …

“Missile gap” is a phrase used during the Cold War, referring to the theory that the US lagged behind the Soviet Union in terms of its ballistic missile defenses.

The US and the USSR were engaged in a high-stakes arms …

The accumulation of military power and security assets by a country to encourage an amenable diplomatic atmosphere with other countries.

The phrase peace through strength is attributed to the policies of Roman Emperor Hadrian, who ruled from 117 to 138. …

A “back channel” is an unofficial means of communication between two nations or two political entities. “Backchanneling” is also used as a verb, to refer to the act of holding behind-the-scenes talks.

Back channels are often used when two governments …

“Appeasement” is a diplomatic policy in which nations attempt to make peace by making concessions to an aggressive nation. Appeasement is often linked with the policies of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain during World War II.

The most famous case …