Extreme instability in Cuba during 1933 led to two military coups in one month. The second coup, led by Fulgencio Batista y Zaldivar and encouraged by the U.S. government, put Havana university professor Ramon Grau San Martin in the presidency; Batista was appointed chief of staff. The United States, which treated Cuba as a virtual protectorate, sent battleships to Havana to try to quell any further uprisings and protect U.S. citizens and interests...

In April 2015, the United States, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom negotiated an interim nuclear deal with Iran. Finalized in July, the accord restricted Iran's development of nuclear weapons in exchange for a lifting of international economic sanctions. Supporters of the deal argued that it would rein in Iran's nuclear program and promote peace in the Middle East, but opponents argued that it was flawed and threatened U.S. interests...

In this program, ABC News correspondent Judy Muller reports on the quality of life along the international border between El Paso and Juarez since the implementation of NAFTA. Apart from business opportunities for Americans, employment for Mexicans, and low-priced goods for both the U.S. and Mexico, the downside of NAFTA is becoming all too apparent: worsening living conditions in Juarez and increasing levels of air and water pollution on both sides...

Since embracing capitalistic policies in the late 20th century, China has become an economic and military powerhouse, as well as one of the United States' top trading partners. But it has also acted aggressively in the South China Sea and often backs American adversaries. Does China's ascendancy benefit the United States, or threaten it? Are China and the United States long-term allies-or enemies?

A part of the series America in the 20th Century. It was the longest war in America's history and the most divisive in more than a century. This program explores the genesis of America's painful military "quagmire" from the roots of Vietnamese nationalism through a century of French colonial rule to the first Indochina war; it then takes viewers from John F. Kennedy's initial deployment of military advisers through increases and escalations under...

Refugees from war-torn countries are seeking asylum in Europe, North America, and other places. Should such asylum be granted?

Best known as the author of The End of History and the Last Man, Francis Fukuyama is a former neoconservative who argued for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein-then changed his mind before the 2003 invasion of Iraq. What caused his reversal? If the war had gone differently, would he have revised his opinion again? What strategies does he envision for promoting global democracy in the future? Fukuyama addresses those and other questions in this detailed,...

The World Bank was founded in 1944 mainly as a way to help Europe rebuild after the Second World War, and it has since become the premiere agency for aiding developing countries. But critics began to say that the World Bank's rigid economic formulas failed to take into account the societal differences of those it served, that its projects were ecologically harmful, and that despite aid, billions of people were still lacking access to food, clean water,...

Awarding the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize to U.S. President Barack Obama may be the Nobel committee's most controversial decision of all time. This program examines the choice and its implications, as well as the background, accomplishments, and potential of the recipient. Produced by the Nobel Foundation, the film outlines Obama's diverse heritage and formative experiences, compiles opinions from a broad spectrum of political players, and assesses the...

Emmylou Harris narrates this in-depth program, which describes the growing international effort to eliminate the widespread menace of landmines. Examining the work of international agencies and humanitarian groups, the program documents mine-removal initiatives in three heavily affected nations: Angola, Albania, and Azerbaijan. With the cooperation of dedicated mine-clearance units, the process is explained from inception to completion, chronicling...