During the Scramble for Africa (a period lasting from 1881 to 1914 that brought colonization of most of Africa by…
Trying to Negotiate with the Iranians
Elizabeth Jones became the U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan in 1995. On July 3, 1988 an Iran Air flight was making…
Operatives of U.S. Diplomacy: Advocating for Foreign Service Officers Post-9/11
When disaster strikes, foreign service officers are called upon to support the U.S. government’s response. This was the case in…
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…
A Public Diplomacy Career: Touring Astronauts, Saving Battleships, and More
Diplomatic history is a fascinating field full of peace conferences, negotiations, and summits; but it also includes dozens of other…
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…
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…
Beginning a U.S.-Ukraine Relationship
This “Moment in U.S. Diplomatic History” is one of four in a series about Russia, Ukraine, and U.S. relations in…
A Murder in the Straits Colony—Life in Colonial Singapore
In the case of most diplomats, the investigation of crimes is an activity that is neither envied nor sought out;…
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