The 1990s were a pivotal decade for the United States and the world. This season on None Of The Above, we rewinded to the '90s to cover the breakup of the Soviet Union, America's unipolar moment, and the rise of China. We explored civil war in Afghanistan, the spread of nuclear weapons, South Africa's transition to democracy, and much more. The '90s also gave rise to free trade, globalization, and the growth of the internet – all of which profoundly shaped the world we live in today.

In the final episode of our '90s Rewind miniseries, we asked Ian Bremmer to wrap it all up. He joins the Institute for Global Affairs' Mark Hannah to revisit some of these key moments and walk us through how he was thinking about them at the time, and how he looks back on them now with the benefit of hindsight. Ian also happens to be our board president here at IGA.

The military and the very idea of national security changed a lot in the 1990s. Politicians promised a new period of peace and prosperity after the Cold War, but the military would not draw down from the international arena. On the contrary, the United States turned to policing the world, and the military carried out new types of missions meant to advance new ideals, ambitions, and interests.

In this episode of None Of The Above's '90s Rewind miniseries, the Institute for Global Affairs' Mark Hannah explores strategic, structural, technological, and social change in the US military. He is joined by military historian Max Boot, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and columnist for The Washington Post. NPR's Deborah Amos returns to provide insights and commentary.

When the Cold War ended, many imagined a more peaceful world. Yet the 1990s were marked by humanitarian crises in Somalia, Rwanda, and former Yugoslavia. Images of mass atrocities and genocide reached wide audiences on newly available 24/7 TV news channels, as humanitarians increasingly advocated for military intervention. The United States under Bill Clinton took up the mantle of protecting human rights – and quickly discovered the perils of intervention.

In this episode of None Of The Above's '90s Rewind miniseries, the Institute for Global Affairs' Mark Hannah delves into the rise of humanitarian intervention in the 1990s. He is joined by international relations scholar Rajan Menon, professor emeritus at the City College of New York and senior research scholar at Columbia University. Ambassador Thomas Pickering returns to provide insights and commentary.

China's violent Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989 marked a turning point in US-China relations. After two decades of slowly but steadily nurturing friendly relations, the United States would choose to develop economic ties without insisting on democratic reforms. The prevailing hope was that China's economic growth would inevitably lead to political change. That hope, however, was never fully realized. Today, China is America's largest trading partner and yet its biggest geopolitical rival.

In this episode of None Of The Above's '90s Rewind miniseries, the Institute for Global Affairs' Mark Hannah explores the origins of 21st century US-China rivalry. He is joined by modern China historian Jeffrey Wasserstrom of the University of California, Irvine. NPR's Deborah Amos and Ambassador Thomas Pickering return to provide insights and commentary.

Sudan's civil war recently entered its third year. It has claimed the lives of around 150,000 people and displaced around 13 million. In this archival episode, we revisit the outbreak of violence that erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Army, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces, led by Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan–known also as Hemedti.

As the warring factions competed for control of resource-rich Sudan, regional leaders like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Israel, as well as the United States and the United Nations grappled with how to respond the catastrophic violence and humanitarian crisis still unfolding. But, as our guest reminds us, peacebuilding efforts from external actors like the US and the UN, however well-intentioned, have unintended consequences. Guest host and former IGA research fellow Zuri Linetsky spoke with Sudan expert Justin Lynch to help us make sense of the conflict and how external actors helped embolden the military leaders, who have brought the country to the brink of collapse.