JFK and Foreign Policy with Greg Schneider | BRI Scholar Talks: Cold War & The Presidency Series #3

20+ minute interviews with modern authors and scholars on topics of U.S. History and Civics.

In this lesson, students will learn how President John F. Kennedy achieved his purpose of protecting the United States during the Cuban Missile Crisis. They will also understand how they can be purposeful in their lives.

Use this lesson after students have read the introductory essay to introduce foreign policy milestones during Reagan's presidency. This lesson can be used with The Iran-Contra Affair Narrative; the "Tear Down This Wall" Ronald Reagan and the End of the Cold War Decision Point; and the Ronald Reagan, "Tear Down this Wall" Speech, June 12, 1987 Primary Source.

What was containment and how did it shape American foreign policy during the Cold War? In this Cold War & the Presidency Scholar Talk video, BRI Senior Teaching Fellow Tony Williams is joined by John Moser, Professor of History at Ashland University, to discuss the significant role that Harry Truman played in the Cold War. How did Truman's presidential unilateralism provide a precedent for his successors to fight major wars without a declaration of war? Did Truman’s expansive view of American foreign policy and global responsibilities align with constitutional principles?

What factors contributed to the origins of the Cold War during the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt? Join us today for the first episode of our summer Scholar Talks miniseries, “Cold War & the Presidency.” BRI Senior Teaching Fellow Tony Williams is joined by Sean McMeekin, Professor of History at Bard College, as they discuss his new book, "Stalin's War: A New History of World War II." How did FDR’s presidential unilateralism and diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union shape executive power during World War II and for his successors during the Cold War?