born october american ambassador career teacher historian specialist soviet affairs tumultuous years cold war served ambassador soviet_union interested russia undergraduate studies columbia_university stint russian language instructor entered year career encompassed cold war period soviet_union united_states assignment moscow embassy experienced cuban missile crisis helping translate diplomatic messages leaders year posted west_africa later served post colonial period rivalry beginning director began participate summit meetings leaders eventually attending soviet held year period moscow serving number position embassy years soviet invasion afghanistan early ended period reduced tensions assigned moscow acting ambassador ronald_reagan presidency reagan appointed ambassador czechoslovakia later asked return washington work assignment develop negotiating strategy end arms race leader soviet_union arms negotiations summit meetings resumed appointed ambassador soviet_union saw years soviet_union retired leaving wrote account end soviet union titled autopsy empire followed account end cold war titled reagan cold war ended establishing reputation historian joined faculty went teach diplomacy new_england colleges wife live princeton new_jersey biography born north_carolina graduated married graduated cum later earned columbia_university taught russian language literature joined served vienna moscow director diplomat residence deputy director served ambassador czechoslovakia special assistant president senior director european soviet affairs languages czech french german russian president ronald_reagan choice position ambassador soviet_union serving previous tours moscow vice consul secretary minister deputy chief mission interim retired academic world professor columbia years position moved princeton new_jersey held visiting appointments international affairs princeton_university awarded honorary completed received commencement ceremony jack divide time home princeton family farm tennessee children grandchildren russia account russia having read undergraduate went study russian language area studies columbia_university convinced principal challenge american diplomacy post world war period dealing soviet_union appointment position supplemented income preparing index collected works contract soviet_union closed society decided best chance know russia join diplomat ultimate career goal clear beginning entered shocked lot people ambition asked want stated frankly want american ambassador soviet_union moscow secretary tour vienna austria russian language training arrived moscow time initially vice consul met individuals seeking visit united_states famous case applied loan return united_states having previously moved soviet_union year promoted secretary political section american foreign policy regard soviet_union known articulated later good friend american policy basically contain spread communism expectation eventually collapse internal contradictions prevent discussions june president secretary met vienna december approved draft joint resolution principles negotiating period saw beginnings cultural exchanges notably visit poet moscow policy tested october cuban missile crisis translated communications president late left moscow west_africa arriving president newly independent post colonial africa venue competition soviet_union influence sent serve consul opportunity head post predecessor consul later secretary defense successor later ambassador assignment deputy chief mission capital africa knowledge soviet affairs proved useful power soviet foreign policy dictated doctrine held country communist leave soviet sphere influence washington director director richard_nixon presidency period known reduction cold war tension participated negotiation arms control treaties agreements fact attended year period exception carter summit moscow deputy chief mission years washington spent years deputy chief mission number position embassy moscow years cemented reputation soviet expert early public fact soviet_union moscow embassy nearby building years caused concern possible health effects low level microwave radiation ironically soviet research documented psychological symptoms sensitivity microwave exposure united_states standards safe exposure soviet_union august abc evening news covered story major fire embassy despite severity fire personnel evacuated safely efforts embassy staff president agent testified congress fire deliberately induced soviets effort gain access sensitive areas agents posing returned united_states taught year diplomats residence program following year came number position language training school january response soviet invasion afghanistan president carter postponed consideration imposed trade new embassy construction moscow found listening devices secure work moscow returned moscow acting ambassador april president reagan cancelled export trade resumed signalled american desire engagement soviets seeking active dialogue levels dialogue useful learn offense use help understand day july august president reagan ordered development bomb contentious desired effect bringing soviets table negotiations limiting nuclear weapons europe started november czechoslovakia ambassador late appointed ambassador czechoslovakia president appointment ratified senate carter election loss ronald_reagan appointment ambassador czechoslovakia tenure able help resolve major good relations return tons gold looted nazis world war kept recovery allied forces american british banks march president reagan announced strategic defense initiative ground space based weapons system designed protect nuclear attack continued advise president policy soviet_union september soviets shot commercial flight returned washington work white_house officials washington reagan appointed position special assistant president senior director european soviet affairs order develop negotiating strategy end arms race earlier year long standing strategy modified predecessor include bringing internal pressure soviets conducting negotiations mutual interest following years discussions soviets conducted agenda including human rights regional issues arms control issues november soviet leader announced resumption nuclear missile deployment western sign increased tension relationship relations taken begin ronald_reagan january speech declaring common interests foremost avoid war reduce level arms added support zero option nuclear arms speech commonly seen propaganda professor history says number officials including writer contended meant taken seriously soviet leaders june soviets offered start negotiations nuclear space based weapons period came power soviet_union march day negotiations nuclear space based weapons began geneva weeks later proposed development nuclear space weapons period negotiations july proposed ban nuclear testing reagan rejected proposals began period internal economic restructuring known agreed series american president instrumental preparing reagan summit arranging specialists government write soviet_union course papers russia reagan study participated mock summit playing role allowing reagan practice encounter advance speaking conference june told crowd united_states recognize incorporation soviet_union remarks credited leader independence movement relations took turn worse soviet arrest reporter evidently use chip response august arrest suspected agent engaged espionage advised taking hard line soviets charges dropped diplomatic row ensued leading end october expulsion soviets including suspected intelligence officers lost diplomats embassy moscow russian support staff moscow ambassador april reagan appointed ambassador soviet_union conditions embassy tense marine sergeant found compromised embassy security months scandal intelligence assets soviet_union exposed americans suspected security breach meant embassy code room longer secure worked determine mole cia caught mole time fbi caught relations improved steadily military present soviet military manoeuvres agreement establish centers round negotiations aimed banning nuclear tests relations reflected cultural sphere invitation attend reception house provided way judge intentions earlier soviet leaders considered second embassy fire february damaged floors improvements relations continued year summit meetings moscow second governor island new_york earthquake struck armenia second summit cutting short offer assistance victims accepted official assistance world war berlin wall fell november november submitted joint resolution united_nations security cooperation joint initiative december meeting malta brought summit june summit washington brought agreements covering chemical weapons trade aviation grain maritime boundaries peaceful uses atomic energy ocean exploration student exchanges customs cooperation september meeting provided venue discussion fire embassy occurred april time managed send agents disguised firefighters june received word coup planned warned avail shortly july summit bush briefly removed power august coup soviet_union collapsed end months having fulfilled ambition joined retired diplomatic career spanning years end soviet_union cold war retirement began work autopsy empire american ambassador account collapse soviet_union page book details final years soviet_union considered definitive insider guide subject subsequent book reagan cold war ended describes relationship men efforts reach agreement arms reductions takes position military build ronald_reagan contributed inaccurate characterization reagan war hawk quote atop page reagan ronald_reagan speaking beginnings dollar defense spending surge states recognized ultimately got settlement solution reagan according altered goals press conference president stated appearances contrary favor actual reduction numbers nuclear weapons claims reagan victory school proponents book myths false led america return reality published provides analysis post cold war period policy teaching diplomacy taught diplomacy princeton_university columbia_university interview offers advice prospective diplomats optimistic nature liberal education expect change world know country know country represent government find mutual interests remember timing gives views basic politics don difference communist regime fascist regime fact think greatest intellectual decades right left thing right communists left nonsense come overlap seeing russia today allies communists natural allies nature tend means tend destroy elements civil society important right left know willing create live civil society open society basic issue policy politics leaving government service occasionally joined experts criticize government policy june signed open letter bill_clinton criticizing plans nato expansion reason opposition given testimony belief nato expansion significant nuclear arms reduction russia consequently increase risk terrorist nuclear attack drew republicans presidential election signed june criticizing policies endorsing president jan joined advocate goal world free nuclear weapons september day conference joined ambassadors issue joint statement russia united_states forward relations endorsed global zero initiative plan eliminate nuclear weapons signed open letter asking new start treaty russia public locations aggregate numbers nuclear weapons order promote transparency reduce jan signed open letter president obama urging united_nations resolution condemning israeli settlements occupied territory published works function governing organs writers index collected works state reprinted russian edition soviet strategy tactics tropical africa office assistant chief staff army army relations background prospects washington state relations status prospects presents thirty eighth annual ball january autopsy empire american ambassador account collapse soviet_union random house isbn russian edition isbn chinese edition isbn tragedy february russia power mob july february russian prospect february conflict march dealing russia turmoil june struggle august struggle exchange september lingering mysteries december factor exchange march june september testimony october russia february bad idea vote great nato debate center war peace march arms twist new york times march chinese book section september book section april place nato turn april vietnam new_york_times books section august clash vol september world according january february nation february russia votes new_york_times march books section march ukraine today april security october read book section august vol september end cold war origin conclusion soviet conflict harvard international review vol fall war face reflections research library october russian review books section october reagan cold war ended random house isbn takes books section march western intelligence collapse soviet_union years shake world review number spring big mistake interfering ukraine politics council foreign relations interview december cold war soviet ambassador confession review volume number january early years new york times april myths false led america return isbn january peter ambassador soviet_union tells reporters appointments decisions day day exile unsuccessful coup audio wolf daniel moscow debating issues beverly_hills distribution international video harry collapse soviet_union end cold war diplomat looks video rose charlie youtube video discusses new book reagan cold war ended national public radio audio august russia going world affairs councils america video january world affairs council video world affairs council living russia video rose charlie death video james columbia university forum russia headed audio world affairs council connecticut russia united_states video institution regional confrontations nuclear video audio jack living russia video miller center public affairs ambassador american diplomacy years video jan council foreign relations russia update video interviews video july night talk interview youtube video august russia relations longer view video wilson school princeton_university lasting legacy youtube video ending cold war years ago video
Jack F. Matlock, Jr.