Next to Pearl Harbor and 9/11, the Iranian seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979 and…
Communist Containment in the Middle East: Emergence of the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO)
The 1950s can be described as a decade filled with some uncertainties, but many prosperities. The Cold War had just…
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…
CORDS Alumnus Gives Perspective on U.S. Role in Vietnam
Should the United States ever have gone to war in Vietnam? Nearly fifty years after the last American troops were…
Making the Most of Adversity: Managing the Consular Section in Guangzhou, China
Adversity can often bring out the best in those who are willing to rise to the challenges it throws at…
The Secret ‘Backbone’ of the U.S. Embassy in Delhi, India
Historically, Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs) have been working behind the scenes and supporting foreign service personnel who often serve in…
Working as a Woman in Intelligence: Alice Shurcliff
Unlike many women’s stories that highlight the immense challenges women face, Alice Shurcliff highlights in her oral history advantages she…
Senegal’s Locust Plague in the late 1980s
The year is 1986. A Senegalese farmer walks out in his field a short while after the drought season has…
Ukrainian Nationalism in an Independence Era
This “Moment in U.S. Diplomatic History” is one of four in a series about Russia, Ukraine, and U.S. relations in…
Fighting for Peace: Serving During the Sri Lankan Civil War
As a USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) officer serving in Vietnam during the firefights and bombings of the Tet…