A. Wess Mitchell

A. Wess Mitchell is an American strategist, historian and diplomat who served as U.S. Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs from 2017 to 2019. He is the author of four books, including Great Power Diplomacy: The Skill of Statecraft from Attila the Hun to Kissinger (2025), The Grand Strategy of the Habsburg Empire (2018), The Unquiet Frontier: Rising Rivals, Vulnerable Allies and the Crisis of American Power (2016; co-authored with Jakub Grygiel) and The Godfather Doctrine (2009; co-authored with John C. Hulsman). Mitchell holds a doctorate in political science from the Freie Universität Berlin, a master’s degree in German and European Studies from Georgetown University, and a bachelor’s degree in history from Texas Tech University. He received a 2020 prize from the Stanton Foundation for writing in Applied History (with Charles Ingrao) and the 2004 Hopper Award at Georgetown University. He is a sixth-generation Texan.