Crosses, Archers, and Birth Certificates: Diplomacy as Theatre

 So often is the case that I see a news headline and go ‘hmm, that reminds me of something.’ I have written about history on many occasions, emphasising how it can teach us valuable lessons. Many of the rituals and observances that we keep are centuries old; diplomacy is no different. This week, I take a comparative approach to diplomacy in both late medieval society and today, highlighting how its position has remained largely unchanged for most of history.  

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Diplomacy is an age-old interaction between leaders and their representatives and another polity. As part of my degree, I recently studied late medieval diplomacy, and in light of recent interactions between Germany’s Chancellor and the United States President, an abundance of posturing can be observed.  Posturing, in this post, can be defined as an event by one party to provoke a response from another party to give the original party a position of superiority. This article highlights the importance of posturing, both in historical context and in its contemporary manifestations. It uses examples of late medieval city-states and compares them to those of the United States’ and Germany’s interactions as of late.

 

Late Medieval Diplomacy

Historians have debated the role of diplomacy. Lazzarini has argued that diplomacy provided a recourse to violence in late medieval Italy (Lazzarini 2015). Yet, the threat of violence sustained diplomacy and often occurred in response to ongoing violence. However, diplomacy was not limited to Italy. It was a common practice amongst rulers in response to ongoing conflict. Notably, in 1435, the Congress of Arras was convened in an attempt to end the Hundred Years’ War. Dickinson in The Congress of Arras (1955) has demonstrated the centrality of diplomacy through the diaries and accounts of various court members at the Congress. Accounts of the arrival of the Duke of Burgundy record him being surrounded by 50 archers who were all dressed in the Burgundian livery. (Dickinson 1955) Diplomacy in this case demonstrates its purposeful performativity. The Burgundian court utilised archers to prove to the English and the French that it had sufficient manpower, thereby leveraging its position in these negotiations. It highlighted they would be present, seen and heard. This spectacle would have been visible not only to those attending but also to those in the surrounding area. Here, it is evident that diplomacy held a special place in medieval society, influencing the positioning of polities and their future relations.

Actions speak louder than words in diplomacy, and one way this was illustrated was through gift-giving. The Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella (married in 1469), were linked by marriage but needed to demonstrate their political support for their respective kingdoms. One way Ferdinand achieved this was through his gift of an Aragonese-adorned cross for her Queen’s Chapel. By gifting his wife, and his Queen, such a cross, it indicated Ferdinand’s desire to demonstrate his loyalty to her and strengthen their bond. Its placement in a chapel likely attended by her court further showed the cohesive nature they wished to establish in both kingdoms. In a patriarchal society, his submission and loyalty suggest there is a sense of performative interaction within diplomacy. He is both a king and a husband. She and he are both monarch of their respective kingdoms by their own right. Ferdinand places Isabella and her kingdom above the interests of his own in the eyes of G-d by placing a cross of his home design in a chapel. This supports arguments like Igea’s that in the case of Spain, diplomatic relationships often saw blurred lines. (Igea 2017) Ferdinand and Isabella repeatedly blurred the lines of their personal and political relationships for the betterment of their marriage and status. As such, diplomacy led to meaningful interactions.

 

The United States and Germany

As argued above, diplomacy is vital to the relationships of polities. Late medieval diplomatic missions may not be as different to those of our world today. The United States often sends large diplomatic missions, consisting of the President and their top teams, along with a large number of staff on these missions. They are not alone in this. Countries like the United Kingdom also send the Prime Minister and members of the Royal Family on numerous trips. These interactions and the pageantry surrounding them all highlight the performative angle of diplomacy.

On the 5^th of June 2025, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited the White House. This was the first visit of the Chancellor to the US since his election last month. This is a historic moment; such a visit is both crucial for affirming German-American relations and vital for indicating the position Germany wishes to present to the US. On his visit, the Chancellor presented the President with the birth certificate of the President’s great-grandfather. This was deliberate. The use of a gift is often to acknowledge the shared understanding between two parties. Much like a piece of art, which is shared and admired by both, it creates a sense of understanding. In gifting this birth certificate, Chancellor Merz indicated to President Trump that America is a nation of immigrants and that these relationships with other countries must not be forgotten. In light of recent anti-immigration rhetoric in the US, this action is powerful and persuasive. It is a call by Merz for Trump and his administration to reconsider their stance on immigration and to embrace, perhaps, the beauty of immigration in building a nation such as America. The performance of diplomacy here is tactful and demonstrates its significance as a tool not just in the past, but also for current and future relations.

 

Conclusions: What Can We Learn?

To conclude, diplomacy must always be looked at through the lens of performance. It is a deliberate act used by political entities to show their opinions and further their desires. Whether such actions occurred in the late medieval world or continue to this day, they demonstrate the importance of diplomacy for the careful construction of relationships. Ultimately, it is essential to remember that these interactions are carefully constructed and deeply rooted in historical connections.

 

Select Bibliography:

BBC News, German leader urges more pressure on Russia in meeting with Trump (5 June 2025) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c8xgwj801z1t

J. Dickinson, The Congress of Arras (Oxford, 1955)

I. Lazzarini, Communication and Conflict: Italian Diplomacy in the Early Renaissance, 1350-1520 (2015)

G. Igea, ‘Gift exchanges, self-representation, and the political use of objects during Ferdinand the Catholic’s reign, in, Sowerby and Hennings, eds., Practices of Diplomacy in the Early Modern World c.1410-1800 (London: Routledge, 2017)