Multilingual Foreign Affairs: Translation and Diplomatic Agency in Eighteenth-Century Stockholm.

Abstract

The new diplomatic history embraces an interest in the role of language in early modern diplomacy, especially in transcultural contexts. This article addresses the need for translation in inter-European relations by focusing on the connections between translation and diplomacy in mid-eighteenth century Stockholm. It shows that practices of translation had a real effect on who could engage in diplomacy. Moreover, through a focus on a less formal diplomatic communication, it highlights the multilingualism and absence of a lingua franca during an era of presumed francophonia in Europe, thus nuancing the idea of a singular European diplomatic culture.