Cold War Liberalism Redux
About this episode
This episode explores the origins and significance of Cold War liberalism and its impact on U.S. foreign policy.
Subscribe now for ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content! What was Cold War liberalism? What is its lasting significance? Does it live on as a zombie ideology? In this episode, historians Daniel Bessner and Michael Brenes trace the origins of this powerful ideology to the 1930s and 40s. It soon reached the apogee of its influence, only to decline after the tragedy of Vietnam. As Americans today grapple with the disastrous consequences of decades of military adventurism, they might find some answers in Cold War liberalism, which shaped U.S. foreign policy as the country emerged from the Second World War a superpower. Daniel Bessner teaches history at the University of Washington and cohosts American Prestige podcast. Michael Brenes is Co-Director of the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy and Lecturer in History at Yale University. Recommended reading: Cold War Liberalism: Power in a Time of Emergency edited by Daniel Bessner and Michael Brenes
People in this episode
Host: Martin Di Caro
Guests: Daniel Bessner, Michael Brenes
Topics covered
- Cold War liberalism
- U.S. foreign policy
- military adventurism
- historical ideology
- Vietnam War
Keywords
- Cold War
- liberalism
- Vietnam
- U.S. superpower
- foreign policy
- military history
- ideology
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Washington, American Prestige, Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy, Yale University
Books & works: Cold War Liberalism: Power in a Time of Emergency
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