In 1979, Israel and Egypt signed a historic peace agreement committing to diplomatic and commercial ties. Peace seemed imminent for…
Ceaușescu and the Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia: The Early Years of Dealing with a Dictator
The Romanian Führer. The West’s “favorite communist.” Both of these descriptions have been used to describe Nicolae Ceaușescu, the rapacious…
A Fragile Peace: The Aftermath of the Sri Lankan Civil War
One of the greatest challenges in a diplomat’s career is serving in a country that is trying to rebuild after…
One for All and All for One: The Conception and Early Development of NATO
During his opening remarks at the Munich Security Conference in February 2020, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg declared that “[I]n…
The Road to Reunification: Remembering the Reintegration of East and West Germany
The road to German reunification was long, turbulent, and beset with political obstacles. Despite the challenges, German reunification represents a…
The Times They Are a-Changin’—Labor’s Role in the Foreign Service
The United States underwent great political change following the end of World War II, not only fully abandoning its isolationist…
At the Negotiating Table for SALT
U.S.-Soviet relations during the Cold War were marked by increasing tension. Emerging from WWII as the two strongest countries, competition…
Introducing American Culture to Tokyoites
Renate Coleshill was born in Germany and went on to work for the U.S. Foreign Service in a number of…
Fiscal Relief in a Tumultuous Time—The Paris Club in the Nineties
At the end of World War II, Argentina was entrenched in debt and on the verge of defaulting to its…
First India, Next the World: Madhumita Gupta’s Story of Determination and Drive
Madhumita Gupta had a long and successful career serving as a Foreign Service National with the U.S. Agency for International…