Georgia declared independence from the Soviet Union in April 1991, and problems and instability arose almost immediately. The first President…
Pierre Trudeau: One Long Curve, Full of Turning Points
With the October 2015 election of Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister of Canada, we take a look back at his father, Pierre…
That’s What Friends Are For
One of the great advantages of being in the Foreign Service is the opportunity to live abroad, learn new languages,…
A Russo-American Diplomat: Back in the USSR
Vladimir Toumanoff, a Foreign Service officer for 25 years, had the extraordinary experience of returning as an American diplomat to…
A Giant of the Kennedy Era: John Kenneth Galbraith
With his impressive intellect, polarizing personality, close ties to the Kennedy White House and imposing stature, Ambassador John Kenneth Galbraith…
The Yom Kippur War — An Evacuation of the Ungrateful
Consular officers must sometimes go to extraordinary lengths to ensure the safety and well-being of Americans overseas. One such officer…
Lost in Translation while Posted Abroad
Working as a U.S. diplomat overseas requires patience, composure, and the ability to communicate cross-culturally. Oftentimes, diplomats can speak multiple…
Diplomacy Despite It All – Kissinger’s India Fix
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger visited India October 28, 1974 to discuss its nonalignment policy, which aimed at preserving India’s…
Frenemies: Warm Encounters with Cold War Soviets
Just because the war between the two superpowers was cold didn’t mean that relations between U.S. and Soviet diplomats had…
Monkey Business
Embassies around the world focus on some very important issues – bilateral trade negotiations, helping American citizens abroad, reporting on…