David Banks, American University School of International Service
War games let you test your political and military acumen right at your kitchen table – while also helping you appreciate how decision-makers are limited by the choices of others.
International forces advancing toward Boxer soldiers outside the Imperial Palace in Beijing, China, during the Boxer Rebellion.
Library of Congress
When is math not just math? Political conflicts have led to new study-abroad initiatives, the creation of a world-class university, the migration of mathematicians and serious educational reforms.
An officer from Venezuela’s National Guard lobs tear gas toward demonstrators during a standoff over humanitarian aid at the Colombian border on Feb. 23, 2019. Four protesters were killed.
AP Photo/Fernando Llano
The Trump administration says President Maduro’s ‘days are numbered’ after Venezuelan security forces killed four protesters. But any US-led operation to oust him is likely to be extremely unpopular.
Architect and designer Florence Knoll Bassett poses with her dog, Cartree, in this photograph circa 1950.
Courtesy Knoll Archive
Margaret Re, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Knoll is best known for transforming the design of America’s corporate offices. But she was also on the front lines of a State Department effort to promote American ingenuity and capitalism abroad.
Russia claims its controversial Iskander M launcher doesn’t violate the INF treaty.
SERGEI CHIRIKOV/AAP
The US has withdrawn from a major arms control treaty with Russia, and Russia followed suit. So, what was the treaty, and what happens now?
Military action during the NATO-led military exercise in Trondheim, Norway on Oct. 30, 2018. The NATO exercises included some 3,000 troops, 20 ships, several tanks and about 50 aircraft from various nations.
(Gorm Kallestad/NTB scanpix via AP)
Military exercises are more than just ‘war games’ – they’re aimed at signalling military capability and intent. But NATO must honour its commitment to transparency, and pressure Russia to do the same.
On January 18, 1919 the Great Powers met for the opening of the Versailles Conference.
US Signal Corps
All too often the Arctic region is portrayed as an area on the cusp of military invasion. This is an easy narrative to sell. But is there really a new Cold War coming?
Record companies released stereo demonstration albums that showcased how sound could move from left to right, creating a sense of movement.
From the collection of Janet Borgerson and Jonathan Schroeder
Sixty years ago, stereo promised to forever change the way people listened to music. But how could record companies convince customers to buy a new record player, speakers and amplifier?
US Vice President Mike Pence with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden. PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, Japan’s Shinzo Abe and Australia’s Scott Morrison were among the leaders of the 21 economies making up APEC.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
Summit season is usually a bit of a bore - worthy subjects lost in acronyms and diplomatic niceties. Not so this year as US-China tensions tore at the fabric of multi-lateralism.
A London bus displays anti-apartheid message at the height of South Africa’s isolation.
Flickr/rahuldlucca
Martin Plaut, School of Advanced Study, University of London
As South Africa became an international pariah, it began working in shady ways through even more shady operators, including getting arms from the Soviet Union and China.
Much attention will be on the next meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump at the G20 in late November.
AAP/EPA/Roman Pilipey
Ongoing volatility is causing intense debate about how to manage relations between the two powerful nation, which is only likely to become more challenging.
Berlin Wall, 1988. The fall of the Berlin Wall signifies the end of the Cold War and the victory of liberal democratic values.
Shutterstock
In Kenneth Burke’s ‘The War of Words,’ the late rhetorical theorist picks apart the little ways news articles can subtly influence readers – and harden divisions.
The US and China find it extremely difficult to see the world from the other’s perspective.
AAP/EPA/Roman Pilipey
Cold War 2.0 may not be fanciful: The US and China are plainly entering a period of significant geopolitical rivalry, and each has ambitions that are mutually incompatible.
There’s a chill in the air these days.
AP Photo/Andy Wong
The US and China once again exchanged fire in their escalating trade war. Tariffs have been the main source of ammunition thus far, but China has other weapons it could begin to deploy.
Made up almost entirely of West Germans, the roster of Germany’s national soccer team reflects divisions that remain almost 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
A different kind of international dialogue.
Kyle Glenn on Unsplash