Military

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes military strategist Stephen Biddle of the Council on Foreign Relations for a discussion of the Iraq War. Biddle analyzes the changing strategy of the U.S., speculates on the implications of the conflict for long term strategy, and assesses the possible changes in the military resulting from the failures in Iraq. He compares the Iraq and Vietnam War and analyzes future threats confronting the military.

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people6/Biddle/...

Conversations host welcomes Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College, London, for a discussion of his new book, The Future of War, A History. Sir Lawrence reflects on the historical perspective he brings to topics such as strategy and war. Emphasizing the importance of understanding patterns and context through the study of history, Sir Lawrence analyzes what we can learn through a focus on ideas that shape thinking about war. What are the origins of these ideas? How do these ideas hold up in the face of the flexibility of adversaries to develop new...

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes General Norton Schwartz, former Chief of Staff of the Air Force, for a discussion of the changing nature of air power. In the conversation, General Schwartz reflects on his career and analyzes the essential elements of military leadership. He also explores the challenges of securing and maintaining the nuclear arsenal and the implications of developing and deploying pilotless aircraft. He concludes with a discussion of the requirements for military preparedness in an era of belt tightening and budget cuts.

In this 1991 interview with UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler, former Secretary of the Navy (1981 - 1987) John F. Lehman talks about ideas that shaped his thinking and the problems of reforming the Washington bureaucracy. He compares the styles of Henry Kissinger and Casper Weinberger and reflects on how students should prepare for government service.

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/conversations/Lehman/lehman-con0.html