legation

Through the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century, most diplomatic missions were legations. An ambassador was considered the personal representative of their monarch, so only a major power that was a monarchy would send an ambassador, and only to another major power that was also a monarchy.{{cite encyclopedia |title=Ministers, Foreign |encyclopedia=The popular encyclopedia; or, 'Conversations Lexicon'|publisher=W. G. Blackie|location=Glasgow|quote=Those of the first class, to whom in France the title of ambassadeurs is restricted, are not merely the agents of their government, but represent their sovereign personally, and receive honours and enjoy privileges accordingly. They can be sent out only by such states as possess royal honours.}} A republic or a smaller monarchy would only send a minister and establish a legation. Because of diplomatic reciprocity, even a major monarchy would only establish a legation in a republic or a smaller monarchy.{{cite book|last1=Allen|first1=Debra J.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oXQfyXh9pwUC&pg=PA84|title=Historical Dictionary of U.S. Diplomacy from the Revolution to Secession|date=2012|publisher=Scarecrow Press|location=Lanham, Md.|isbn=9780810878952|page=84|quote=Basically, because of diplomatic protocol, a receiving state would not dispatch a representative with a higher rank than it has received, so when the U.S. sent ministers, it also received ministers, not ambassadors. ... The U.S. adjusted its ranking system in 1893 and began to send and receive ambassadors.}} For example, in the waning years of the Second French Empire, the North German Confederation had an embassy in Paris, while Bavaria and the United States had legations.{{cite book|last1=Washburne|first1=E. B.|title=Recollections of a Minister to France, 1869–1877|url=https://archive.org/details/recollectionsam03washgoog|date=1889|publisher=Scribner|location=New York}}

The practice of establishing legations gradually fell from favor as the embassy became the standard form of diplomatic mission. The establishment of the French Third Republic and the continued growth of the United States meant that two of the great powers were now republics. The French Republic continued the French Empire's practice of sending and receiving ambassadors.{{cite book|last1=Washburne|first1=E. B.|title=Recollections of a Minister to France, 1869–1877, Volume II|date=1887|publisher=Scribner|location=New York}} In 1893, the United States followed the French precedent and began sending ambassadors, upgrading its legations to embassies. The last remaining American legations, in Bulgaria and Hungary, were upgraded to embassies in 1966.{{Cite web|url=https://history.state.gov/countries/hungary|title=Hungary – Countries – Office of the Historian|website=history.state.gov|access-date=2016-12-06}}

The last legations in the world were the Baltic legations,{{cite news|last1=Kempster|first1=Norman|title=Annexed Baltic States: Envoys Hold On to Lonely U.S. Postings|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-10-31-mn-344-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|date=31 October 1988}}{{cite book|author1=U.S. Department of State|title=Diplomatic List|date=February 1990|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office}} which were upgraded to embassies in 1991 after the Baltic states restored their independence from the Soviet Union, and the legations of Finland and Sweden to South Africa, which were upgraded to embassies in 1991{{cite web|accessdate=2021-02-16|title=Finland (Republic of)|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230121204951/http://dirco.gov.za/foreign/bilateral/finland.html|website=www.dirco.gov.za}} and 1 November 1993{{cite book |url=https://www.regeringen.se/contentassets/ffa942296fce4f1b9a42ef61ae0a59a9/so-199373-overenskommelse-med-sydafrika-om-diplomatiska-forbindelser-pa-ambassadorsniva |title=Sveriges internationella överenskommelser: SÖ 1993:73 |trans-title=Sweden's international agreements: SÖ 1993:73 |year=1993 |publisher=Utrikesdepartementet |location=Stockholm |issn=0284-1967 |id={{SELIBR|4110996}} |pages=1–2}} respectively after the release of Nelson Mandela from prison and as apartheid and the corresponding Nordic diplomatic embargo were coming to an end.{{cite web|accessdate=2021-02-16|title=Iceland (Republic of)|url=http://www.dirco.gov.za/foreign/bilateral/iceland.html|website=www.dirco.gov.za}}

• American Legation, Tangier
• Beijing Legation Quarter
• Concession (territory)
• Papal Legations, certain administrative regions of the former Papal States, specifically the "legations" of Ferrara, Bologna, Forlì, and Ravenna
• Villa Lituania

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Category:Diplomacy

Category:Diplomatic missions