Foreign Policy Research Institute A Nation Must Think Before it Acts Why Does America Go To War?

Why Does America Go To War?

Date : Sat., March 25, 2017 to Sun., March 26, 2017 Category : Butcher History Institute

Co-Sponsored by Center for the Study of America and the West

 

War

The decision to go to war is the most momentous any leader, any nation, can make. For the United States, the process of declaring war, enshrined in the constitution, has always been a source of domestic political dispute as well as geopolitical interest, as every conflict raised anew the fundamental question of whether and how the United States should deal with the wider world. Presidents and Congresses have not always agreed on the nature of the threat and the proper response. Often, the decision formally to declare war came only after a buildup of pressure that broke domestic partisan resistance. Since 1942, questions of war and peace have become even more complicated, as Presidents have used their executive authority to commit American troops to fighting without presenting Congress with a formal vote to declare war.
 
Why has the United States gone to war? What were the casus belli? Who advocated for war and who resisted—and why did they do so?  Who decided and why?  What were the strategic/military considerations? How did each experience with going to war shape the discussion of subsequent conflicts?
 
These vital questions will guide the discussion at our next History Institute for Teachers. 

Application deadline: January 30, 2017

For a compilation of essays drawn from previous history weekends, be sure to see: American Military History: A Resource for Teachers and Students, edited by Paul Herbert and Michael Noonan (FPRI and First Division Museum, 2013).

Watch the Full Conference Here:

Topics and Speakers

Welcoming Remarks

03/25/2017 - 8:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Paul Herbert

Executive Director

Walter A. McDougall

Alloy-Ansin Professor of International Relations

Co-Chair - Butcher History Institute

Related Multimedia:

Welcoming Remarks by Paul Herbert and Walter McDougall

Thinking About War

03/25/2017 - 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Kori Schake

Research Fellow

Related Multimedia:

Thinking About War

The War of 1812

03/25/2017 - 10:30 to 12:00
Paul J. Springer

Professor of Comparative Military History - Air Command and Staff College

Senior Fellow - Center for the Study of America and the West

Related Article(s):

The Causes of the War of 1812

Related Multimedia:

The War of 1812

The Mexican-American War (1846-48)

03/25/2017 - 12:45 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Walter A. McDougall

Alloy-Ansin Professor of International Relations

Co-Chair - Butcher History Institute

Related Multimedia:

The Mexican-American War (1846-1848)

The Spanish-American War (1898)

03/25/2017 - 2:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
David Silbey

Senior Lecturer - Cornell University

Related Article(s):

A Match is Nothing Without a Fuse; A Fuse is Nothing Without a Bomb: Starting Two Wars, 1898-1899

Related Multimedia:

The Spanish-American War (1898)

World War II (1941-1945)

03/25/2017 - 3:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Dr. Bill Allison

Professor of History - Georgia Southern University

Related Multimedia:

World War II (1941-1945)

The Korean War (1950-53)

03/25/2017 - 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
Arthur Waldron

Lauder Professor of International Relations

Senior Fellow - FPRI

Related Multimedia:

The Korean War (1950-1953)

The Vietnam War (1964-1973)

03/25/2017 - 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
Heather Stur

Associate Professor - The University of Southern Mississippi

Related Article(s):

Why the United States Went to War in Vietnam

Related Multimedia:

The Vietnam War (1964-1973)

The Persian Gulf War (1990-91)

03/25/2017 - 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
Hal Brands

Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs - Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies

Senior Fellow - National Security Program

Related Multimedia:

The Persian Gulf War (1990-1991)

Location

Venue

First Division Museum at Cantigny

1 S. 151 Winfield Road
IL Wheaton 60189

Registration links

Register Deadline

Mon., January 30, 2017

WHAT PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE Forty participants will be selected to receive:

  • complimentary overnight accommodations for those outside of the Chicago vicinity (Friday and Saturday nights, as needed);
  • complimentary lunch and dinner on Saturday, plus continental breakfast on Saturday and Sunday
  • assistance in designing curriculum and special projects based on the History Institute;
  • stipends of $200 for well-developed lesson plans for posting on our website that effectively utilize the experience of the weekend conference, or documentation of in-service presentations based on the weekend;
  • partial travel reimbursements (up to $250) for participants outside the vicinity of the conference center;
  • subscription to E-Notes, FPRI’s weekly bulletin; and Footnotes, FPRI’s bulletin for high school teachers.
  • a certificate of participation in a program offering 12 hours of instruction. In addition, for those interested, college credit is available for a small fee through our cooperating institution, Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
  • Videotapes of the entire conference will be posted subsequently on our website, plus texts of selected lectures.