FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: Monday, September 25, 2006
CONTACT: Trudy Fredericks, Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy (WAGE), E-mail: fredericks@wisc.edu, Website: http://wage.wisc.edu/
Madison, WI – Beginning Tuesday, September 26, a Distinguished Lecture Series will examine the effects of World War II and the Vietnam War on America — its politics, armed forces, society and culture. The talks, which are free and open to the public, are being presented by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Division of International Studies and the Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy (WAGE) in partnership with the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.
“In a time of war, both citizens and leaders need to draw on the wisdom of our nation’s prior experiences in fighting foreign foes,” says Jeremi Suri, an associate professor of history and one of the organizers of the series. “This is a program designed to bring people together for reflection on the past and its lessons for our future.”
The series features three noted historians – Robert Schulzinger, Campbell Craig and David Kennedy. The three will give lectures at the Veterans Museum, 30 W. Mifflin St. on the Capitol Square, in Madison, as well as related campus seminars at UW-Madison.
The talks in the Distinguished Lecture Series are:
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
“The Living Legacy of the Vietnam War”
Robert Schulzinger, Director, International Affairs Program and Professor of History, University of Colorado. Schulzinger is the author of A Time for Peace: The Legacy of the Vietnam War (2006). Schulzinger argues that every divisive foreign policy issue since 1975, including the current war in Iraq, is seen through the prism of Vietnam.
7 p.m., Wisconsin Veterans Museum
Thursday, October 5, 2006
“The Atomic Bombing of Japan: Ending World War II or Beginning the Cold War?”
Campbell Craig, Professor of History, University of Southampton. Craig’s talk will focus on the attitude of President Truman, who up until July 1945 had barely given a thought to bombing Japan with atomic weapons. Yet, during the Potsdam Conference that same month, he was overjoyed to receive news of the successful Trinity test of the bomb.
7 p.m., Wisconsin Veterans Museum
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
“A Tale of Three Cities: How the United States Won World War II”
David Kennedy, Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History, Stanford University. Kennedy, the author of several books on 20th century America, will discuss how the United States has become history’s wealthiest nation and dominated the international system as few powers have.
7 p.m., Wisconsin Veterans Museum
Other co-sponsors include UW-Madison’s Global Security Initiative, Department of History, and European Union Center of Excellence (EUCE).
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