Abstract: If diplomats who write about diplomacy are to be believed, diplomacy is both distinct from and opposed to war. It is the ‚‚art of resolving negotiations peacefully.” Similarly, many scholars of diplomacy distinguish diplomacy from war and align diplomacy with peace. After a war breaks out, what factors influence warring parties’ decisions about whether to offer talks, and when may their position on war time diplomacy change? Decision makers and academics tend to believe that the transition from pure fighting to “talking while fighting” is pro gress, but both tend to overlook or misunderstand how we get from one to the other. Alongside war, there has always been diplomacy; alongside the warlord, the diplomat seeking a nonmilitary solution. Diplomatic efforts have shortened some of our worst wars and exacerbated others.