The outline of the development of sanctions in the foreign policy over the centuries

Abstract

Since the ancient times sanctions have been applied in the course of various foreign policies in parallel with the ongoing armed conflict or separately in order to achieve certain political objectives. Over time, sanctions have undergone continuous transformation including types, as well as the decision-making procedures resulting in their application. The article provides an overview of the process of transformation of the nature of the sanctions beginning with primitive tools aimed at achieving one simple effect to elaborate measures used for a particular international order, resulting from a multi-stage, decision-making process and having a variety of consequences. The study is based on the most spectacular examples of applied sanctions in the history of mankind.