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History and Foreign Policy: Making the Relationship Work - Foreign Policy Research Institute

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History indelibly influences foreign policy. Consciously or unconsciously, government officials rely on their understanding of the past in seeking to address what is happening today; they seek to render new and complex issues more legible by drawing insights from what has come before Nor is this necessarily a bad thing, because historical knowledge—when used properly—can have a highly constructive influence on policy. History can help American officials understand the countries and peoples with which they interact; it can provide perspective and analytical leverage on key problems; it can give statesmen access to the wisdom that their predecessors gained at considerable expense. One cannot make policy solely on the basis of historical knowledge, of course, but only a fool would ignore what history has to offer. Yet if many observers would agree that history is important to good policy, the relationship between historians and policymakers has often been vexing for all involved. His

History and Foreign Policy: Making the Relationship Work - Foreign Policy Research Institute --> Select a page ... --> A Nation Must Think Before it Acts History and Foreign Policy: Making the Relationship Work Share: Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mail Print --> E-Notes History and Foreign Policy: Making the Relationship Work Hal Brands Jeremi Suri April 1, 2016 National Security Program Home / Articles / History and Foreign Policy: Making the Relationship Work History indelibly influences foreign policy. Consciously or unconsciously, government officials rely on their understanding of t

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