Paul Rahe of the University of Tulsa argues that Herodotus's coverage of classical Greek military history presents a "near ideal template for the analysis of American military history," in that it records the military struggles of republics Rahe interprets Herodotus's depictions of political and military heroes and considerations of relative cultural values as supporting "political liberty and the rule of law"— values which he suggests the U.S. has held and must continue to hold.

A transcript is available on the series page.

Paul H. Herbert, Executive Director of the Cantigny First Division Foundation, discusses his views on and recommendations for teaching military history. He argues that military history needs to be taught in order for students to understand the country's past; that students need particularly to come away from school with a basic understanding of the make-up of the U.S.'s military institutions and their relationship with society and of change in the conduct of war over time; and that teachers need to understand and be familiar with the basic vocabulary of war and military actions in order to teach military history.

J. Rufus Fears of the University of California discusses the definition of freedom, arguing that it is not a universal value; that freedom is divided into three sectors—national, political, and individual—which are not necessarily inclusive; and that the U.S.'s definition of freedom developed under unique circumstances. To help teachers teach students about life without freedom, FPRI's Marvin Wachman Fund for International Education, in cooperation with the National Constitution Center and the National Liberty Museum, assembled some of the world's leading analysts—and witnesses—of countries without freedom. The conference helped teachers define totalitarianism while examining the history of the idea of freedom.

To listen to this lecture, scroll to "Freedom: The History of an Idea" under "Speakers and Topics." Audio and video options are available.

Williamson Murray of the Institute for Defense Analyses reviews the history of Western warfare, from classical times to the present day. This lecture was conducted for "Teaching Military History, Why and How: A History Institute for Teachers," held on September 29–30, 2007. The event was sponsored by the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Marvin Wachman Fund for International Education and the Cantigny First Division Foundation, and held at the Cantigny First Division Museum in Wheaton, IL.

Audio and video options are available.

Martin van Creveld of Hebrew University examines the intimate relationship between warfare and technological development—including the essential change in the nature of war that the development of nuclear weapons brought about (a new warfare in which victory did not ensure survival) and the U.S.'s emphasis on technological superiority in warfare (regardless of the effectiveness of this approach). This lecture was conducted for "Teaching Military History, Why and How: A History Institute for Teachers," held on September 29–30, 2007. The event was sponsored by the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Marvin Wachman Fund for International Education and the Cantigny First Division Foundation, and held at the Cantigny First Division Museum in Wheaton, IL.

Audio and video options are available.

Anthony Codevilla of Boston University explores the definitions of war and diplomacy and the relationship between the two, as tools of statecraft. This lecture was conducted for "Teaching Military History, Why and How: A History Institute for Teachers," held on September 29–30, 2007. The event was sponsored by the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Marvin Wachman Fund for International Education and the Cantigny First Division Foundation, and held at the Cantigny First Division Museum in Wheaton, IL.

Audio and video options are available.

Jeremy Black of Exeter University discusses the importance of teaching military history, arguing that it is necessary for citizens to have full knowledge of their country's history, including its military past. This lecture was conducted for "Teaching Military History, Why and How: A History Institute for Teachers," held on September 29–30, 2007. The event was sponsored by the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Marvin Wachman Fund for International Education and the Cantigny First Division Foundation, and held at the Cantigny First Division Museum in Wheaton, IL.

Audio and video options are available.

Warren I. Cohen of the University of Maryland discusses the rise of U.S. and Chinese power on the international stage. He emphasizes the fact that China's rise is not the region's first assumption of prominence on the global level—and that the original Chinese empire was, as were Western empires, based on conquest and racism. He notes that China will likely wield its power in opposition to the U.S., just as the U.S. has opposed other global powers in the past—and that the economic future of China is still in doubt. This lecture was conducted for "China's Encounter with the West: A History Institute for Teachers," held on March 1-2, 2008. The event was sponsored by the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Wachman Center and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Asia Program, and held at UTC.

Audio and video options are available.

Lucien Ellington of the University of Tennessee and Paul Dickler of the Foreign Research Policy Institute discuss aspects of China's relationship with the West. They focus on the economic dynamism of China, and end with a question-and-answer session. This lecture was conducted for "China's Encounter with the West: A History Institute for Teachers," held on March 1-2, 2008. The event was sponsored by the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Wachman Center and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Asia Program, and held at UTC.

Audio and video options are available.

Thomas G. Rawski of the University of Pittsburgh examines aspects of economic development in China and the relationship of these developments to the West. This lecture was conducted for "China's Encounter with the West: A History Institute for Teachers," held on March 1-2, 2008. The event was sponsored by the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Wachman Center and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Asia Program, and held at UTC.

Audio and video options are available.