French, the language of diplomacy
Vienna congress (1815), Drawing by Jean-Baptiste Isabey, Engraving by Jean Godefroy. (Wikipédia)
At FIS, our strategic plan indicates that our students should be 'culturally French and open to the world.' Our students, both in the French and International streams, can rely on the learning of French to achieve this objective. To understand why, it is necessary to recall some French Language historical episodes and facts.
French: the language of diplomacy thanks to its 'geometrical precision'."
French was spoken in most European courts in the 18th and 19th centuries. Naturally, French diplomacy was able to highlight the clarity of this language, due to its logical nature and 'geometrical precision,' meaning its ability to be precise, rigorous, and detailed in expressing concepts and subjects requiring a level of precision similar to that needed in geometry.
French: the working language of Ottoman Empire diplomats in the 19th century
Perhaps even more surprising, in the 19th century, French was the working language of Ottoman diplomats. This use of French reflects the language's influence in international affairs during that time, when many treaties, agreements, and diplomatic documents were written in French. Therefore, it was often used as a diplomatic language and for communication between different nations and cultures.
French: a substitute language for Latin in international treaties
More than other languages, French has been an instrument in the organization of international relations. This is due to the fact that it replaced Latin, from the 18th century, for drafting international treaties. Historically, the first international treaty written exclusively in French is the Treaty of Rastatt (1714), which marked the end of the War of the Spanish Succession. This should not be seen as a result of France's political dominance at that time, but rather as a recognition of the cultural influence of the French language.
The decline of French as a diplomatic language dates back to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. It was decided at this conference to adopt English alongside French as a working language, and the Treaty of Versailles was written in both languages (but in case of discrepancies, only the French version was considered binding).
French: one of the official languages at the United Nations and the International Court of Justice.
Until the 1960s, French still held an important place in diplomatic negotiations. This is no longer the case. It is often overshadowed by English. Certainly, it remains one of the working languages of the European Commission and one of the official languages at the UN. It is one of the two official languages of the International Court of Justice. It is the working language of the Court of Justice of the European Union. However, it is losing ground. Yet, its precision makes it a language well-suited for international negotiation, with the vagueness of English leaving room for certain interpretations.
Therefore, we encourage our students to use this rich and varied language to exchange ideas, discuss, resolve conflicts, and share their emotions, as many diplomats have done before them!
