CES News & Events May 11, 2020

The Aftermath of War – WW2 and COVID-19 An Interview with Charles Maier & Ian Kumekawa

A war or a crisis acts like a magnifying glass that focuses sunlight to the point where it can set paper on fire. It accelerates history. – Charles Maier Charles Maier at his home in Cambridge, MA during quarantine.

The fight against COVID-19 has been equated to a war by some political leaders. While the analogy is appealing, Charles Maier , Leverett Saltonstall Research Professor of History at Harvard University and CES Resident Faculty, and Ian Kumekawa , Ph.D. Candidate in History at Harvard University and a CES Graduate Student Affiliate, weighed in on the argument in a recent white paper and argue that it is critical to think now about the aftermath. Maier and Kumekawa discussed their paper with Gila Naderi , CES Communications Manager, by phone. The paper “ Responding to COVID-19: Think Through the Analogy of War ” was published as part of a series of white papers written for the bipartisan COVID-19 Response Initiative , spearheaded by Danielle Allen , James Bryant Conant University Professor and Director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University.

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Ian Kumekawa at his home in Milton, MA. Major crises – whether wars or pandemics – are often powerfully transformative events. It is important to begin thinking as soon as possible about the aftermath.  – Ian Kumekawa

Upcoming Webinars

May 13, 2020 | 12:00pm-1:00pm (EDT) How Youth Driven Climate Litigation Sustains Democracy: Perspectives from the U.S. and Europe This event is co-sponsored by CES with the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School. RSVP here .

May 15, 2020 | 11:00am-12:30pm (EDT) COVID-19 in Europe: Public Policy Responses and Consequences CES Visiting Scholars will cover public policy responses to COVID-19 across European countries, including Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, and the Western Balkans. This event is sponsored by the New Research on Europe Seminar at CES. RSVP here .

CES Affiliates in the Spotlight

How international organizations are stepping up to respond to the pandemic MonkeyCage Christian Kreuder-Sonnen , CES Visiting Scholar, argues that COVID-19 cooperation falls short, when nations put themselves first. Will COVID-19 Lead to the Death of the Schengen Agreement? Harvard Political Review Pablo Rasmussen, CES EHPS Concentrator and Harvard College Senior, examine's the EU's role in the crisis on the 25th anniversary of the Schengen Agreement.

The Government is Crossing the Rubicon (in Polish) Polityka Grzegorz Ekiert, CES Director, discusses the end of the Polish democracy and the possibility of its return. Poland’s presidential election just got more complicated Monkey Cage Anna Grzymała-Busse, CES Senior Fellow, gives an analysis of Poland's political crisis over the presidential elections.

Americans Like the No-Drama Merkel Die Welt Karen Donfried, CES Senior Fellow, discusses German-U.S. relations during the coronavirus crisis. Why Isn’t Trump Riding High? The New York Times Bart Bonikowski , CES Resident Faculty, comments that trends toward greater polarization of nationalism are likely to persist.

More than a Plague (In German) Die Zeit Sigmar Gabriel, CES Senior Fellow, assess how COVID-19 could impact the world politically and economically. Women Carry the Main Burden of this Crisis (In German) Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Jutta Allmendinger, CES Senior Fellow, argues in this podcast that the plight of women during the pandemic needs to be recognized in this podcast.

Photo of the Week

The Parker Quartet performed in Adolphus Busch Hall to celebrate CES's 50th anniversary in December 2019.

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