diplomacy

New Official Bio Claims Big Role for Secretary of State George Shultz in Ending the Cold War

Philip Taubman's new biography portays Shultz as a key figure in pushing Reagan to move closer to Soviet leadership, albeit one who was content to work in the background. 

Why George Kennan Thought He Failed His Biggest Challenge

by Patrick Iber

After urging the United States to firmly oppose the expansion of Soviet influence as a way of bringing the USSR's internal weaknesses to the forefront, Kennan grew disillusioned at the militarized tack later versions of "containment" took. A new book revisits and challenges canonical studies of the diplomatic thinker. 

Don Luce, Activist Against Vietnam War, Dies at 88

Luce helped expose the torture and human rights abuses carried out by the government of South Vietnam, and campaigned against the war after being expelled from South Vietnam as an aid worker. 

What the Cuban Missile Crisis Teaches Us about Ending the Ukraine War

by Walter G. Moss

Many people have invoked JFK's handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis as a reminder of the need for toughness in international confrontation. The equally vital but less popular lesson is that creative leadership is just as important. 

Is it Deja Vu All Over Again with "Appeasing Dictators," or Time for A New Lens?

by Charles Spicer

Invoking Chamberlain and appeasement is never a particularly useful response to an international crisis. Do the efforts, albeit unsuccessful, of a small group of British diplomatic outsiders to "civilize" leading Nazis, point in a better direction? 

Shirley Temple Black's Second Act as a Diplomat

An unpublished memoir of her late life, recently released to the Smithsonian, shows how Shirley Temple Black worked to thwart pervasive sexism in the diplomatic arena while advocating for a global environmental awareness.

Biden's Remarks on Taiwan are Potentially Dangerous Provocation to China

by Stephen Wertheim

In itself, Biden's statement about defending Taiwan doesn't raise any possibilities that the Chinese military hasn't already considered. But it does threaten the American posture of "strategic ambiguity" that underlies diplomatic discussions. 

Why I Can't Wave a Ukrainian Flag – A Dissenting Teach-In on Russia's Invasion

by Daniel Herman

"If Americans who fly Ukrainian flags actually want to help Ukrainians, they would be well advised to support diplomatic negotiations rather than limitless flows of weaponry."

Moving Beyond Sanctions to End the War in Ukraine

by Alfred McCoy

"While the world waits for the other combat boot to drop hard, it’s already worth considering where the West went wrong in its efforts to end this war, while exploring whether anything potentially effective is still available to slow the carnage."

Is International Cooperation Possible?

by Tiziana Stella and Campbell Craig

The United Nations system, based on the sovereignty of nations, is increasingly inadequate to the global problems facing humanity. There are other international traditions that can guide a better world order. 

In Ukraine, the US Likely to Follow Kissinger's Example and Disappoint Idealists

by Jeffrey Fields

"From tacit support of the murderous dictator Saddam Hussein in the Iran-Iraq War to Washington’s close relationship with brutal human rights abuser Saudi Arabia, the U.S. frequently chooses to put its own interest ahead of its professed values."

Madeleine Albright Had Warned the World about Putin

Madeleine Albright's path to being Secretary of State began with her experiences fleeing Prague twice – to escape both Nazism and Stalinism. 

There are No Chamberlains Here

by Anne Applebaum

80 years after the infamous Munich meetings, NATO leaders are united in opposition to Russian aggression, but Ukraine leaders wonder what more must happen before triggering a decisive response. 

Martin Indyk Writes the Palestinians Out of the History of Kissinger's Middle East Diplomacy

by James R. Stocker

Martin Indyk’s new work offers a vivid portrait of the former Secretary of State’s Arab-Israeli diplomacy, but he completely misses one of the most important parts of this policy – the Palestinians.

A Tale of Two Olympics: Changed China in a Changed World

by Joe Renouard

Since the 2008 Beijing games, the People's Republic of China's vastly increased global economic power and the COVID pandemic have changed the core narrative around the current winter games. It remains to be seen whether the Olympics will signal a turn back to openness or the intransigence of a confident world power. 

The US Must Not Repeat the Error of Allowing at Totalitarian Regime to Use the Olympics for PR

by Rafael Medoff

Despite the famed victories of sprinter Jesse Owens, the 1936 Olympics were a victory for Hitler, polishing his regime's image as concerns rose about the persecution of Jews. Amid Chinese persecution of Uyghurs, the US should reconsider participation.

Isaac Chotiner Interviews Martin Indyk about Henry Kissinger

Does Martin Indyk's new book on Henry Kissinger, who is a personal friend, have enough critical distance between subject and author, asks interviewer Isaac Chotiner.

Review: The Schemes and Ambitions of Joseph P. Kennedy

by Alexis Coe

A new book locates the origin of the "Kennedy Curse" in the ruthless ambition and ego of patriarch Joseph P. Kennedy. 

The Missed Lesson of Vietnam: Plan for Unconditional Victory or Don't Intervene at All

by James D. Robenalt

Comparisons between American withdrawal from Vietnam and Afghanistan miss a key point: failure was overwhelmingly likely from the beginning because, if the United States was unwilling or unable to secure unconditional surrender, time was on the side of its foes. 

Could Wilson have Ended the Great War Two Years Earlier? Zelikow's "Road Less Traveled" Reviewed

by James Thornton Harris

Philip Zelikow's book is a provocative and contrarian argument that Woodrow Wilson missed a chance to end the first world war in 1916.