‘Statecraft: The Bush 41 Team’ Reflects on U.S. Diplomacy When the World Was in Turmoil

Statecraft: The Bush 41 Team, the examination of President George H.W. Bush and his foreign policy team’s expertise, debuts nationally on PBS Tuesday, August 4.

This documentary presents a unique look at the pillars and strategies of American diplomacy at the end of the Cold War.

Courtesy of George H. W. Presidential Library & Museum

When George H.W. Bush became president of the United States in 1989, much of the world was in turmoil and it was clear that American diplomacy was entering a new era.

Detailed, first-person accounts of major world events, like the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Malta Summit, the U.S. invasion of Panama, the reunification of Germany, the Gulf War, and the collapse of the Soviet Union, provide a glimpse into one of the most fascinating foreign policy presidencies of the modern era.

Courtesy of George H. W. Presidential Library & Museum

The story is told via the historical record and the accounts of the advisers who shaped it, featuring captivating archival footage and revealing interviews with members of Bush 41’s foreign policy team, including James Baker, Dick Cheney, Robert Gates, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and Brent Scowcroft.

Statecraft: The Bush 41 Team, Premiere, Tuesday, August 4, 10/9c, PBS (Check your local listings)