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Legacies in 2019

Sizing up the Cold War

The Cold War ended thirty years ago, but it is possible to see many continuities into our own time. To what extent does the Cold War, and its immediate aftermath, continue to shape the world of 2019?

In the thirty years after it ended, the Cold War has continued to fascinate scholars and the public alike. From new information from archives all over the world, to changing perspectives on its place in the international history of the 20th century, and controversy over its impact on the early 21st century, the Cold War has generated a great deal of scholarship and commentary. This conversation between a leading scholar of the conflict and two prominent writers on international affairs explores the legacies of the conflict in our own time.

About the speakers

Piers Ludlow is Professor in the Department of International History at the London School of Economics. He specializes in the history of European integration and West-West relations during the Cold War.

Arnout Brouwers is historian and a reporter and columnist at the Volkskrant. He has worked as an analyst for the Dutch ministry of defense, and for the Volkskrant served as correspondent in Moscow from 2006 until 2013.

Arie Elshout is a columnist on international affairs at the Volkskrant. He started his career as a reporter on international affairs during the final decade of the Cold War. Among his many assignments, he was his paper’s correspondent in Washington, D.C. for several years. Since 2015 he is his paper’s European correspondent.