This is fairly usual, btw; if you're not on speaking terms with a country, or if you're just not interested in negotiating something specific, you might not pay an ambassador to hang out fiddling his thumbs (Whitworth would argue that they don't pay you even when you are negotiating); but leave his secretary or somesuch there to be your lower-paid point of contact and send you info. But because this secretary isn't credentialed, they don't have authority to negotiate. France did this with Prussia after Rottembourg left the last time. It's what Fritz was doing when he refused to replace the ambassador in Britain with Peter Keith and left the guy who probably hadn't even sworn loyalty to Prussia there; he was not saying, "I prefer this guy to Peter," he was saying, "I prefer no diplomatic representation in Britain because I'm more interested in insulting them this year than negotiating with them."
Heh, Fritz.
...Although um if you have told me about the Great Northern War I have completely forgotten; can I have a relatively short recap?
Re: The other diplomatic revolution(s)
This is fairly usual, btw; if you're not on speaking terms with a country, or if you're just not interested in negotiating something specific, you might not pay an ambassador to hang out fiddling his thumbs (Whitworth would argue that they don't pay you even when you are negotiating); but leave his secretary or somesuch there to be your lower-paid point of contact and send you info. But because this secretary isn't credentialed, they don't have authority to negotiate. France did this with Prussia after Rottembourg left the last time. It's what Fritz was doing when he refused to replace the ambassador in Britain with Peter Keith and left the guy who probably hadn't even sworn loyalty to Prussia there; he was not saying, "I prefer this guy to Peter," he was saying, "I prefer no diplomatic representation in Britain because I'm more interested in insulting them this year than negotiating with them."
Heh, Fritz.
...Although um if you have told me about the Great Northern War I have completely forgotten; can I have a relatively short recap?