When William Lacy Swing left Port Elizabeth, South Africa in 1966, he vowed to never return until the end of…
The “Leaky Bucket”—Brazil and the Cuban Missile Crisis
In the early 1960s, President John F. Kennedy sought to maintain an open dialogue with Brazil with the intent to…
Women Working Together to Rebuild Liberia after the Civil War
The Liberian Civil War was doubtless one of the most devastating conflicts in recent history. Spanning from 1989 to 2003,…
Grains, Cows, and the End of the Cold War
The end of the Cold War is sometimes thought about as a dramatic and rapid event marked by the fall…
The Variety of a Foreign Service Career: Bananas, Beaches, and a Plane
Robert Reis, a longtime State Department official, is a perfect example of how far one can come from the American…
Investing in China as its Economy Starts to Take Off in the 1990s
China’s economic transformation launched its economy to new heights during the 1990s, allowing it to have a stronger international presence.…
Keeping “Enemies” Close: Diplomacy in Divided Cities
The twentieth century continues to captivate the attention of policy professionals, academics, and the general public. This is due to…
Peace Between Egypt and Israel in Jeopardy: The Return of Sinai
In 1979, Israel and Egypt signed a historic peace agreement committing to diplomatic and commercial ties. Peace seemed imminent for…
Negotiating the Helsinki Final Act—Soviet Style
Following Allied victory in World War II, the world plunged headfirst into a bitter rivalry lasting decades between the two…
We are the World: Development Support in Africa
The work of the U.S. Foreign Service encompasses more than just advancing U.S. interests abroad. A critical part of it…