What kind of character does it take to lead the free world? In an age of global tension, where American presidents weigh alliances and warfare with the power to shape history, we explore how presidential character turned the U.S. from an isolated republic into a global superpower

Gil Troy is joined by bestselling author and political commentator John Avlon to trace the foreign policy legacy of the American presidency - from George Washington’s warning against foreign entanglements to Ronald Reagan’s moral stand against the Soviet Union.

Focusing on pivotal moments like World War I, FDR’s leadership before Pearl Harbor, and the Cold War consensus, they explore how values, vision, and presidential courage helped America project strength - and when it failed to live up to its ideals.

To read the texts and learn more about the manuscripts discussed in this episode, visit: 

Ronald Reagan at the Berlin Wall, Demanding Gorbachev “Tear Down This Wall”

Chapters

(00:00) Opening

(00:21) Introduction: Power Without Borders

(02:20) Washington’s Farewell: Isolationism vs. Independence

(07:23) Idealism and the Founders’ Foreign Policy Vision

(09:51) Rethinking the Monroe Doctrine

(15:27) Lincoln, Character, and Foreign Policy Foundations

(20:51) Lincoln’s Legacy: Winning the Peace

(23:58) U.S. Grant at Appomattox: Moral Leadership in Action

(24:37) World War I and the Failure to Win the Peace

(29:29) Roosevelt, Lend-Lease, and Pre-WWII Strategy

(33:07) American Psyche in the Interwar Period

(36:18) Democracy vs. Authoritarianism in the Great Depression

(38:57) FDR’s Leadership: Guiding a Divided Nation

(43:48) Roosevelt’s Letter to Harry Woodring & Leadership Nuance

(44:58) Bipartisanship and the Cold War Consensus

(48:19) The Greatest Generation and Their Legacy

(51:06) Reagan’s “Evil Empire” and Moral Clarity

(55:02) Moynihan, Reagan, and Confidence in Democracy

(56:50) Summary

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Production by docyourstory

Music by Adam Weingrod

The show is produced by The Shapell Manuscript Foundation. To learn more about the foundation and discover the manuscript collection visit: www.shapell.org