Anti-Russian policy is constructed from NSC 20 to NSC 135, with NSC 68 the centerpiece. Paul Nitze led the team that drafted the document, which depicted an apocalyptic battle with Russia. NSC 68 framed Cold War thinking for the rest of the century. She will identify some of the fallacies and biases of NSC 68 to illustrate the pitfalls of policy analysis and the need for political decision makers to rely on their own judgments. A general discussion of American foreign policy analysis will conclude the session.
All sessions are free and open to the public.
Funded in part by the UI Office of the Provost and the Office of the VP for Research.