September 11 fundamentally transformed United States foreign policy and shook the country as a whole. This transformation and shock was…
Vladimir Putin’s “Icy Cold Glare”
After George W. Bush’s 2006 meeting on the tarmac with Vladimir Putin, he famously declared “I looked the man in…
Breaking Institutional Barriers: How the State Department Became Less of a Boys’ Club
In the 1960s, the U.S. was still grappling with its new role as a world leader. For nearly two decades,…
From Armistice Day to Veterans Day: Honoring Veterans Who Became U.S. Diplomats
Annually, as a sign of respect, Americans observe a moment of silence at the 11th hour of the 11th day…
State Department Response to the Holocaust—Jewish Refugees and Attempts to Enter the United States during WWII
In 1938, in the shadow of the Great Depression came rumblings from Europe of a great war and with it…
Deserted in the Panama Canal, Exploring the Rose City, and Travelling the Globe in Forty Days: Firsthand Accounts from George Hermann in the Foreign Service
Foreign Service Officers are posted to positions abroad for terms of one, two, or three years depending on locality, demand,…
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…
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…
The Unknown Actor in Kosovo: Lawrence Rossin
During 1998 and 1999, Lawrence Rossin found himself working in the disputed region of the Balkans. Having previously worked in…
Advancing Unity in the Aftermath of War – Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Mid-1990s
Foreign service officers typically must demonstrate adaptability and proactivity to accomplish their missions smoothly and effectively, but sometimes they find…