History of Diplomacy and Technology: From smoke signals to artificial intelligence (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798989802883)

History of Diplomacy and Technology traces the co-evolution of diplomacy and communication technologies, from prehistoric exchanges and the invention of writing to electricity, the telegraph, and today's AI-driven digital diplomacy. Drawing on examples from Mesopotamia, China, India, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, the book reveals how societies developed tools to negotiate, cooperate, and coexist across distances and cultures.

In this third edition, Jovan Kurbalija opens with a compelling new prelude that tackles one of diplomacy's most fundamental questions: did diplomacy emerge as a natural human phenomenon, or as a hard-won necessity? Weaving together the contrasting philosophies of Hobbes and Rousseau, this opening sets a thought-provoking intellectual foundation for everything that follows. The book continues to go beyond Eurocentric history to highlight diverse traditions of diplomacy, and offers the "3×3×3 lens" as a clear framework for understanding continuity and change across centuries. Blending historical storytelling with insights for today's digital and AI-driven age, it reveals how diplomacy has endured every technological revolution by adapting, not resisting. Engaging, wide-ranging, and timely, it is an essential read for anyone interested in history, international relations, or the future of global cooperation.