Moments in U.S. Diplomatic History

The inauspicious rise of Joseph McCarthy began in 1950, when the Wisconsin senator was asked to give a speech at the Ohio County Republican Women’s Club. Until then McCarthy had had a mediocre political career. But that day, despite the humble venue, he managed to give a speech that would catapult him to new heights… Read More "The State Department Under the Red Scare: McCarthy’s Campaign"

Benedict Arnold. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. Mir Jafar. All of these individuals have something in common: they all betrayed their countries. Even with the passage of time, an air of notoriety still clings to their names. Defection occurs in all countries and is fueled by the desire for money, power, or fame. Defection can also… Read More "Money for Secrets: Making a Deal with a KGB Agent"

The Vietnam War was one of the most contentious political issues in the United States during the 1960s and early 1970s. Anti-war protests calling for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces erupted from coast to coast and only intensified with time. The protests were led by frustrated college students who, being of the legal draft… Read More "Did President Clinton Try to Renounce his U.S. Citizenship?—Investigating the Presidential Scandal"

As the United States watches its 2020 election season drag on longer than most presidential elections, the highly charged partisan domestic environment raises concerns over possible protest against the final results. It is an illustration that paints the twenty-first century very well; this century has become an early indicator of electoral revolutions. From across the… Read More "National Elections Under Protest"

Singapore’s story of economic success under the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew has catapulted the nation to the status of a role model for development. After expulsion from Malaysia, the nascent republic entered into an era of rapid economic transformation, eventually becoming a major business hub for Asia and the world. While the city-state leverages… Read More "Nettling the New Guard—PNGed out of Singapore"

American diplomats and their families abroad become accustomed to living through exciting or harrowing events; but occasionally their lives provide them a unique window into historical transformation of great import. In this “Moment in U.S. diplomatic history,” we get a first hand perspective of monumental societal change in the Soviet Union from historian Naomi Collins… Read More "Living Through History with a Historian—Witnessing Monumental Societal Change in the Soviet Union from the 60s to the 90s"

In a world as technologically advanced and reliant as ours, one would expect adaptation to be a staple component of every individual’s mindset. And yet, there are those in the political sphere who have oftentimes demonstrated their desire to subvert various transformative trends, technological or otherwise. One particularly notable trend concerns the reform efforts on… Read More "Phoenix from the Ashes—Reform Efforts on the Foreign Assistance Act"

In 1895, the United States intervened in a long-standing border dispute between Great Britain and Venezuela, forcing its resolution—and forcing Great Britain to implicitly recognize the Monroe Doctrine’s legitimacy. In doing so, the United States inaugurated a more interventionist foreign policy in Latin America, one characterized by Teddy Roosevelt’s “big stick.” Throughout the twentieth century,… Read More "Fighting Where the “Wango-Wango Bird Couldn’t Get”—U.S. Diplomats and the Ecuador-Peru Boundary Dispute"

Although a career in the Foreign Service is rewarding, it is not without risk. Many career assignments are not a sure bet for safety and can expose an officer to the volatile environment of a politically fragile country. Such was the case for Sean Holly, who was assigned to Guatemala in 1968 as a labor… Read More "Kidnapped by Guerillas—The Guatemalan Civil War"

The barriers to entry to the Foreign Service start off high and do not taper off. Individuals pass through written exams, oral examinations, security clearances, and medical (or MED) clearances. Even once an officer has joined the Foreign Service, the hurdles to the career do not stop. Restrictions apply to an officer’s family as well.… Read More "Family First: On the Struggles of Familial Medical Clearances"