The study of ancient art in museum collections has long been a stimulus to the human spirit and an important…
A Jack of All Trades: Working Without Foreign Service Nationals in Moscow
Foreign service officers are often subject to circumstances beyond their control. Such was the case when a diplomatic quarrel occurred…
Black Trade Union: “Catalyst that Ended Apartheid in South Africa”
U.S. Foreign Service Officer John Dinger arrived in South Africa to serve as a regional trade officer at the time…
Terrorism: Domestic and International—9/11 In Tanzania
September 11 fundamentally transformed United States foreign policy and shook the country as a whole. This transformation and shock was…
Black and White: A Battle Between Segregation and Independence in Southern Rhodesia
During the Scramble for Africa (a period lasting from 1881 to 1914 that brought colonization of most of Africa by…
Trying to Negotiate with the Iranians
Elizabeth Jones became the U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan in 1995. On July 3, 1988 an Iran Air flight was making…
Operatives of U.S. Diplomacy: Advocating for Foreign Service Officers Post-9/11
When disaster strikes, foreign service officers are called upon to support the U.S. government’s response. This was the case in…
Ousted from Office for 47 Hours: the Failed 2002 Venezuelan Coup
Coups often do not go exactly as planned. While some result in military despotism and others in democratic reforms, some…
A Public Diplomacy Career: Touring Astronauts, Saving Battleships, and More
Diplomatic history is a fascinating field full of peace conferences, negotiations, and summits; but it also includes dozens of other…
The Iran Hostage Crisis: Diplomatic Drama and Legal Innovation
Next to Pearl Harbor and 9/11, the Iranian seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979 and…