

453 | Benn Steil: The Rise & Fall of Henry Wallace and the Inevitability of the Cold War
17 snips Feb 8, 2024
Benn Steil, author of The World That Wasn't: Henry Wallace and the Fate of the American Century, discusses the origins of the Cold War and postwar U.S. foreign policy through the career of Henry Wallace. They explore the what-if scenario of Wallace becoming president and how it could have avoided the Cold War. They also touch on the mistakes of the United States in the early Cold War and the importance of questioning conventional wisdom in determining America's role in the world.
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
1 2 3 4 5 6
Introduction
00:00 • 2min
Henry Wallace's Significance and the Avoidance of the Cold War
01:53 • 31min
Henry Wallace: From Agricultural Scientist to Political Figure
33:11 • 11min
The United States' Mistakes and Wallace's Insights during the Early Cold War
44:29 • 4min
The Importance of Questioning Conventional Wisdom and Determining America's Role in the World
48:39 • 6min
The Role of Idealism in Foreign Policy and American National Security
54:27 • 4min