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Why We Botch the Ends of Wars

A persistent theme in American history in wartime is a failure to plan carefully for the aftermath of wars. Obsessed with the military aspects of their struggles, neither military nor civilian leaders pay close attention to political issues until the shooting is about to stop, making the achievement of a durable settlement dramatically harder.

Date & Time

Monday
Oct. 3, 2011
4:00pm – 5:30pm ET

Location

4th Floor, Woodrow Wilson Center
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Overview

The History and Public Policy Program in collaboration with the National History Center presents a discussion with Foreign Affairs Editor Gideon Rose entitled Why We Botch the Ends of Wars.

A persistent theme in American history in wartime is a failure to plan carefully for the aftermath of wars. Obsessed with the military aspects of their struggles, neither military nor civilian leaders pay close attention to political issues until the shooting is about to stop, making the achievement of a durable settlement dramatically harder.  Like Iraq, Libya is less the exception than the rule.

Gideon Rose has a background in history, journalism, and government.  Trained as a classicist at Yale, he received a Ph.D. in government at Harvard and has taught the history of American foreign policy at Princeton and Columbia.  He was appointed Editor of Foreign Affairs in October 2010.  He is the author of How Wars End: Why We Always Fight the Last Battle (2010).

Reservations requested because of limited seating: HAPP@wilsoncenter.org or 202-691-4166.

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Speaker

Christian Ostermann

Christian F. Ostermann

Director, History and Public Policy Program; Cold War International History Project; North Korea Documentation Project; Nuclear Proliferation International History Project;
Woodrow Wilson Center
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Hosted By

History and Public Policy Program

The History and Public Policy Program makes public the primary source record of 20th and 21st century international history from repositories around the world, facilitates scholarship based on those records, and uses these materials to provide context for classroom, public, and policy debates on global affairs.  Read more

Cold War International History Project

The Cold War International History Project supports the full and prompt release of historical materials by governments on all sides of the Cold War. Through an award winning Digital Archive, the Project allows scholars, journalists, students, and the interested public to reassess the Cold War and its many contemporary legacies. It is part of the Wilson Center's History and Public Policy Program.  Read more

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