Talleyrand
Definition
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord was a French diplomat who worked under Louis XVI, Napoleon, Louis XVIII, and Louis-Philippe. Known for his diplomatic skills, he represented France at major international conferences including the Congress of Vienna.
Analogy
Imagine Talleyrand as a skilled negotiator or lawyer who can represent different clients (French rulers) effectively in court (international diplomacy), regardless of their differing interests or ideologies.
Related terms
Diplomacy: The practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of states or groups. It involves discussions designed to produce agreements between nations.
Congress of Vienna: As mentioned above, this was an international conference aimed at reorganizing Europe after Napoleon's defeat.
Balance-of-power principle: A concept in international relations that suggests national security is enhanced when military capability is distributed so that no one state is strong enough to dominate all others.
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