In the late 1970s, Turkey faced intense political fragmentation as its parties each struggled for a majority; due to lack…
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…
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…
A Precursor to the Downfall: Living Through Soviet Perestroika and Glasnost
The international community hoped great changes would come to the Soviet Union after Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in March…
“Open Space at the Top of the World”—Defending the Thule Air Force Base in Greenland and Denmark
The purview of an ambassador in a U.S. embassy extends beyond the geographical borders of their host nation and into…
An Honest Broker: Remembering Brent Scowcroft
Brent Scowcroft was an Air Force lieutenant turned two-time United States National Security Advisor who served under Presidents Gerald Ford…