I think he mean't that he did mange to keep the peace but that it wasn't an easy task. "it didn't just happen" is where I draw that conclusion. Personally, I think his accomplishments are very important due to the state our foreign affairs maintained
The reader may not get the perspectives of the other characters
I believe it’s A. Because D and C don’t sound right
The quote is talking about how government can sometimes be a mechanical, unfeeling force. This quote addresses the idea that the government can sometimes get so caught up in the politics of the job that they abandon the morals of humanity.