Ep 245: Edward Luce on Zbigniew Brzezinski’s Twentieth Century
Podcast:School of War Published On: Fri Nov 07 2025 Description: Edward Luce, U.S. national editor and columnist at the Financial Times and author of Zbig: The Life of Zbigniew Brzezinski, America's Great Power Prophet,joins the show to discuss one of the most interesting characters of the Cold War, Jimmy Carter’s national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski. ▪️ Times 00:00 The Life and Legacy of Zbigniew Brzezinski 02:55 Carter's Foreign Policy and Brzezinski's Influence 05:56 Contrasting Worldviews: Brzezinski vs. Kissinger 08:52 The Formative Years: War and Identity 11:35 The Cold War Landscape and Brzezinski's Rise 14:34 Order vs. Justice: Diverging Philosophies 17:55 Brzezinski's Strategic Vision for the Cold War 20:57 The Vietnam War and Its Impact on Brzezinski 23:47 Brzezinski's Approach to Foreign Policy 28:35 The Rise of Jimmy Carter and the Trilateral Commission 32:12 Carter's Foreign Policy Challenges: The Middle East and Iran 37:15 Human Rights and the Shift from Nixon to Carter 45:27 Reagan's Continuity and Change: A New Era in Foreign Policy 51:19 The Iranian Revolution and Brzezinski's Legacy Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack