Racism, Diplomacy, and International Relations

The creation of empires that oppressed indigenous peoples, the two World Wars and the campaigns of ethnic cleansing and genocide that accompanied these wars and other conflicts, and international movements calling for the elimination of racial discrimination, are but a few examples that attest the impact racial prejudice, or racism, has had on international relations. Despite this history, racism’s relevance is seldom mentioned in International Relations (IR) courses offered in universities or in IR textbooks. Instead, IR scholars have often explained the behavior of states using the framework of theories that highlight variables and themes such as power, fear, and the search for security in an anarchic world. Racism, Diplomacy, and International Relations addresses this underappreciation of the significance of racism in international relations by focusing on its conception as a doctrine and its interrelationship with imperialism; its doctrinal role in the development of the discipline of IR; and various episodes from Western and Asian history in which racism had affected state behavior and the practice of diplomacy. These approaches will be taken to support the argument that racism had not only substantially influenced the course of international relations but that it continues to do so in the 21st century, making it imperative that policymakers are aware of racism’s deleterious legacy. The interdisciplinary perspective taken herein in examining and assessing racism’s impact in international relations and diplomacy will appeal to a general audience including students, policymakers, and those who are interested in building a more tolerant and just world–