The First Gulf War. The Persian Gulf War. Desert Storm and Desert Shield. All of these titles and operation names…
“The Good Coup” of 1999—the Very First Coup in Côte d’Ivoire
In December 1999, Côte d’Ivoire experienced its first ever coup d’état after years of stability and economic growth—a coup that…
Art as the Universal Language: Cultural Expression Serves as the Bridge for the Separated People of Cyprus
A sense of misunderstanding is what undoubtedly lies at the heart of conflict, especially between nations who apparently strive for…
Tex Harris: Representing at Home the Officers who Serve Abroad
A lack of due process, serious disorganization, and inadequate representation. This was the state of affairs of Foreign Service labor…
Operation Sapphire: Nuclear Diplomacy in Kazakhstan
Working with nuclear materials is, by its very nature, volatile. Carrying out diplomacy over nuclear materials is even more so.…
Labor Unions During the Cold War
The end of World War II brought about the beginning of the Cold War, whose influence played a significant role…
The State Department Under the Red Scare: McCarthy’s Campaign
The inauspicious rise of Joseph McCarthy began in 1950, when the Wisconsin senator was asked to give a speech at…
Money for Secrets: Making a Deal with a KGB Agent
Benedict Arnold. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. Mir Jafar. All of these individuals have something in common: they all betrayed their…
Did President Clinton Try to Renounce his U.S. Citizenship?—Investigating the Presidential Scandal
The Vietnam War was one of the most contentious political issues in the United States during the 1960s and early…
Living Through History with a Historian—Witnessing Monumental Societal Change in the Soviet Union from the 60s to the 90s
American diplomats and their families abroad become accustomed to living through exciting or harrowing events; but occasionally their lives provide…