The road to German reunification was long, turbulent, and beset with political obstacles. Despite the challenges, German reunification represents a…
Surviving the Storm—Turkey’s Labor Movements Under a Junta
In the late 1970s, Turkey faced intense political fragmentation as its parties each struggled for a majority; due to lack…
Expecting the Unexpected in the Philippines: Confronting a Killer
When one thinks of life in the Foreign Service, they imagine living overseas, experiencing different cultures, and trying exotic foods.…
Pinochet’s Trip to London: How the Arrest of the Chilean Dictator Inspired Unprecedented Global Transparency
In October 1998, the British government arrested former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet at the London Bridge hospital, where he was…
A Miracle Worker in Vietnam—Saving a Young Boy’s Life
Being a U.S. soldier and fighting for your country overseas is an incredible sacrifice. The extended time away from family,…
Egypt Before the Arab Spring: Shifting Tides of Democracy and Westernization
The Arab Spring began in late 2010 as a series of anti-government protests throughout several Middle Eastern countries that permanently…
When “All Hell Broke Loose” in Uganda
Under the rule of current President Yoweri Museveni, Uganda has seen a period of relative stability compared to the turbulent…
A Diplomat’s Wife in Showa Japan
1930s Japan—a time of emperors, tension in the Pacific, and mysterious unspoken social rules of the Showa Era. When Dorothy…
The Interest Trap—Diplomacy before the Cyprus Dispute
The majority of society dismisses Classical literature and history as irrelevant to tangible success in a world that has become…
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…