Military History | Council on Foreign Relations

United States

Happy Birthday to the U.S. Army!

The United States Army celebrates its 246th birthday today. If you see an active duty, former, or retired member of the United States Army today, wish their service Happy Birthday. The Army provi…

Blog Post by James M. Lindsay June 14, 2021 The Water's Edge
Space

Daughters and Sons Guest Event: Leadership Through Generations: A Conversation With Charles F. Bolden Jr. and Ché Bolden

Charles F. Bolden Jr., former NASA administrator and astronaut who flew on four space shuttle missions, and his son, Ché Bolden, a Marine Corps veteran, speak at a multigenerational conversation about leadership spanning decades of public, private, and military service.

Virtual Event by Charles F. Bolden Jr. and Ché Bolden June 3, 2021
China

U.S. Relations With China

Since 1949, U.S.-China relations have evolved from tense standoffs to a complex mix of intensifying diplomacy, growing international rivalry, and increasingly intertwined economies.

Timeline by CFR.org Editors March 17, 2021

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Max Boot

Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow for National Security Studies

United States

Ten Anniversaries to Note in 2021

Anniversaries mark the passage of time, recall our triumphs, and honor our losses. Two thousand twenty witnessed many significant anniversaries: the seventy-fifth anniversary of the end of World War …

Blog Post by James M. Lindsay December 2, 2020 The Water's Edge
United States

Thanking America's Veterans

Today is Veterans Day. Americans first celebrated it on November 11, 1919, one year to the day after the end of the conflict they knew as the Great War and we (regrettably) know today as World War I…

Blog Post by James M. Lindsay November 9, 2020 The Water's Edge
United States

Happy 245th Birthday to the United States Marine Corps!

The U.S. Marine Corps turns 245 years-old today. On November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution to create a Marine force composed of two battalions. Since then, the Marines have …

Blog Post by James M. Lindsay November 6, 2020 The Water's Edge
Wars and Conflict

War, Culture, and Society, With Margaret MacMillan

Margaret MacMillan, professor of history at the University of Toronto, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how war has shaped culture and society throughout history. MacMillan’s new book, War: How Conflict Shaped Us, hit bookstore shelves earlier this month.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay and Margaret MacMillan October 20, 2020 The President's Inbox
United States

Happy 245th Birthday to the U.S. Navy!

The U.S. Navy turns 245 years-old today. On October 13, 1775, the Continental Congress commissioned two ships, each with eighty sailors, “for intercepting such transports as may be laden with warlike…

Blog Post by James M. Lindsay October 8, 2020 The Water's Edge
United States

The United States Air Force Celebrates Its 73rd Birthday Today

The United States Air Force (USAF) turns 73 years-old today. On September 18, 1947, Chief Justice Fred Vinson swore in Stuart Symington as the first secretary of the air force, officially founding a …

Blog Post by James M. Lindsay September 14, 2020 The Water's Edge
Wars and Conflict

Five Anti-War Movies Worth Watching

Each Friday this summer, we suggest foreign-policy-themed movies worth watching. This week: films that highlight the costs of war.

Blog Post by James M. Lindsay and Margaret Gach August 28, 2020 The Water's Edge
United States

Happy 230th Birthday to the U.S. Coast Guard!

The United States Coast Guard celebrates its 230th birthday today. The Coast Guard was created on August 4, 1790, when the first Congress authorized Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton to constr…

Blog Post by James M. Lindsay August 4, 2020 The Water's Edge
South Korea

Remembering General Paik Sun-yup

Without Paik’s herculean effort, South Korea as we know it today—a vibrant, capitalist, and liberal democracy—wouldn’t exist.

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for Asia Unbound July 15, 2020 Asia Unbound
Japan

Last Days of Imperial Japan

Japan experienced unparalleled destruction by U.S. military forces during World War II, resulting in its complete capitulation. Washington played a decisive role in Tokyo’s postwar transition and reconstruction, but the legacy of Japan’s imperial wartime actions continues to be a source of tension with its Asia-Pacific neighbors.

Timeline by Eleanor Albert, Kevin Lizarazo and Jeremy Sherlick July 13, 2020
Politics and Government

A Conversation With Henry A. Kissinger

Dr. Henry A. Kissinger participates in a wide-ranging discussion on critical foreign policy issues throughout history and in the present day.

Event with Henry A. Kissinger June 25, 2020
United States

Happy Birthday to the U.S. Army!

The United States Army celebrates its 245th birthday today. If you see an active duty, former, or retired member of the United States Army today, wish their service Happy Birthday. The Army provid…

Blog Post by James M. Lindsay June 14, 2020 The Water's Edge