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This word has been voted as one of the ten English words that are Hardest To Translate in June 2004 by Today Translations, a British translation company {Link without Title} . However, almost the exact word exists in at least some of the Romance Languages (such as Portuguese - ''plenipotenciário''; French - ''plénipotentiaire''; Romanian - ''plenipotenţiar''), with the exact same meaning, as well as in other languages (for instance, German - ''Bevollmächtigt(er)'' (adjective or noun), Dutch ''Gevolmachtigd(e)'', Swedish ''fullmäktig'' - all these Germanic cases are literal parallels; Czech ''zplnomocněný'' (plno=full, moc=power) and Finnish ''täysivaltainen''). DIPLOMATS Historically, before systems of rapid international transport (such as Cars , Train s and Aircraft ) or virtually instantaneous Communication (such as Radio or Telephone ) were commonplace, diplomatic mission chiefs were granted full (''plenipotentiary'') powers to represent their government in negotiations with their host nation, in the expectation that any representations made or agreements reached with him would be recognised and complied with by his government. As Minister (understood of the crown or republic) was the common generic term for high diplomats (they were usually recruited from the same, in monarchies mostly aristocratic, circles as many cabinet members and other court, state and military officials, even clerics, often jumping between these spheres during their career) it became customary in most states to style the chiefs of full ranking missions Minister Plenipotentiary, rather equivalent to the modern Ambassador (which style was long rare, except in Venice , and even longer reserved for missions between the great powers). In fact states would not systematically maintain permanent missions at a bilateral level (there were very numerous small Principalities , hardly worth the expense), or only with major, neighbouring or closely allied powers, but rather dispatch a mission for a limited task, such as negotiating a peace, alliance or other major treaty, either bilaterally or at a broader conference, and indeed also as a repesentative at such august assemblies as the Imperial Diet of the Holy Roman Empire (many Reichsfürst e, especially if so only in secondary quality, as in chief of a minor territoral possession in Germany, would not appear in person but send a Minister, empowered to cast their votes; even external powers with serious interests could thus be represented, without a vote). The most common rank below that was Minister Resident or Resident Minister (see that article- also in colonial Indirect Rule ), well below comes the Chargé D'affaires , who is not even accredited to the Head Of State but just at the government level. By the time of the Vienna Congress (1814-15), which codified diplomatic relations, Ambassador had become a common title too, and was established as the only class above Minister Plenipotentiary, and would gradually become the only common style for bilaterial mission chiefs as their ranks no longer tend to reflect the importance of the states, which are in principle treated as formally equal. In modern times, heads of state and of government, and more junior Ministers and officials, can easily meet or speak with each other personally, so ambassadors arguably do not require plenipotentiary powers, but they continue to be designated and accredited as ''extraordinary and plenipotentiary''. ADMINISTRATING PLENIPOTENTIARIES Again considering practical difficulties for the central government to play close on the ball in parts of its own territory remote from the capital, governors etcetera often needed to be trusted with a broad mandate, at least de facto. In some cases, this was formally reflected in an official's style, while it also happened that in one circonscription an office normally carrying such broad mandate was conferred on one person, such as a minor member of the ruling house styled viceroy, while secret instructions limited his or her power drastically, transferring them to someone else (especially of lower birth) despite a lower title. Even in modern, more mobile times, this title has been revived on certain instances, including forms of protectorate or indirect rule Colonial
Pre-World War II Europe
For the Nazi Reich
Postwar On 18 May 2000, in the post-soviet Russian Federation the title Plenipotentiary of the President went into operation for the appointees of the Executive president, Vladimir Putin, in each of the seven Federal Districts created on 13 May: Dalnevostochny (Far Eastern), Privolzhsky (Volga Region), Severo-Zapadny (North Western), Sibirsky (Siberian), Tsentralny (Central), Uralsky (Ural) and Yuzhny (Southern) SOURCES AND REFERENCES
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