In sponsoring the Bernard Brodie Distinguished Lecture on the Conditions of Peace, the Burkle Center for International Relations celebrates the memory of Brodie as an eminent scholar and teacher. The lectures provide a special forum for outstanding students of politics, strategy, and warfare to present their thoughts and research within the scholarly and humanist tradition exemplified by Bernard Brodie.

Bernard Brodie's pioneering studies for world politics and military policy in the nuclear age received international recognition and established him as a founder of modern strategic theory. He was the first scholar of strategic studies to discern the revolutionary nature of warfare in the nuclear age and to point the way to a fundamental revision of the concepts, language, and theories of modern warfare. As early as 1946, in his book The Absolute Weapon, Brodie foretold the use of "massive retaliation" in the 1950's. Brodie's other books dealing with issues of strategy and military history include: Layman's Guide to Naval Strategy (1942), Seapower in the Machine Age (1943), Strategy in the Missile Age (1959), Escalation and the Nuclear Option (1966), as well as From Crossbow to H-Bomb (Revised Ed. 1973), on which he collaborated with his wife, the late Fawn Brodie, a prominent historian. Two of Brodie's principal interests were combined in his last book, War and Politics (1973) from which the title of the Lecture series was obtained.

Established in 1980, the Bernard Brodie Distinguished Lecture on the Conditions of Peace celebrates the memory of Bernard Brodie as an eminent scholar and teacher. This lecture series provides a special forum for dignitaries and scholars of politics, strategy, warfare, and peace to present their views to the UCLA community and the public.

Previous Presenters of the Bernard Brodie Distinguished Lecture

• 2023-24: Sanna Marin, former Prime Minister of Finland
• 2022-23: Luis Moreno Ocampo, First Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
• 2021-22: POSTPONED: Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States
• 2019-20: Joseph Nye, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor and former Dean of the Kennedy School of Government
• 2018-19: CANCELLED - Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives (CA-12)
• 2017-18: Representative Adam Schiff of California's 28th Congressional District
• 2016-17: John Emerson, former U.S. Ambassador to Germany, "At a Time of Global Insecurity, Is a Strong Europe in America's National Interest?"
• 2015-16: General John Allen, former Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, "Next Steps in U.S. and Global Strategy Against the Islamic State"
• 2014-15: Michael McFaul, former U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation, "A New Cold War? Russia's New Confrontation with the West"
• 2013-14: Jon Huntsman, Jr. former Governor of Utah and former U.S. Ambassador to China and Singapore, "US-China Relations, Challenges and Opportunities"
• 2012-13: Ryan Crocker, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, and Lebanon, "The Arab Spring and US Interests"
• 2011-12: George Mitchell, former U.S. Senator of Maine and U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, in Conversation with Renee Montagne, Co-Host, NPR's Morning Edition, "Turmoil in the Middle East: Its Effect on U.S. Foreign Policy"
• 2010-11: Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in Conversation with Renee Montagne, Co-Host, NPR's Morning Edition
• 2009-10: Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General, "Mobilizing the Global Citizenry: the United Nations in a Changing World"
• 2008-09: Brian Kelly, spokesman for the U.N. Mission in the Sudan, in Conversation with Alfred Orono, prosecutor and former Ugandan child soldier
• 2007-08: Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., "The Challenges of the Broader Middle East"
• 2001-02: Warren Christopher, Former U.S. Secretary of State, "Foreign Policy of the Bush Administration: A One Year Assessment"
• 2000-01: Jimmy Carter, Former President of the United States, "Talking Peace"
• 1999-00: Albert Carnesale, Chancellor, UCLA, "Strategy and Peace in the 21st Century"
• 1998-99: William S. Cohen, US Secretary of Defense, "The Conditions of Peace in the 21st Century"
• 1997-98: Anthony Lake, Professor, Georgetown School of Foreign Service, "Future Political-Military Challenges to the World & the U.S."
• 1996-97: William Perry, Former US Secretary of Defense, "The Revolution in Military Affairs: Peace and War in the 21st Century"
• 1995-96: Michael Dukakis, Governor, "The Global Economic Challenge: What Should Be America's Response"
• 1994-95: Stanley Hoffman, Professor of the Civilization of France, Harvard University,  "Beyond Realism and Idealism in International Politics"
• 1993-94: Carl Kaysen, Professor of Political Economy, Harvard University, "War, Peace and Politics: A New Connection"
• 1992-93: Paul Kennedy, Professor of History, Yale University, "Preparing for the 21st Century"
• 1991-92: Brian Urquhar, Scholar in Residence in the International Affairs Program at the Ford Foundation, "1992: Problems for the 21st Century"
• 1990-91: Thomas C. Schelling, Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, University of Maryland, "The Conventional Status of Nuclear Weapons"
• 1989-90: Carl E. Vuono, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army, "The Strategic Value of Conventional Force"
• 1988-89: McGeorge Bundy, Professor of History at New York University, "Cooperation Among the Nuclear States for International Stability"
• 1987-88: Yasuhiro Nakasone, Former Prime Minister of Japan, "Beyond the Horizon of the Pacific"
• 1986-87: Paul Warnke, Chairman of the Committee for National Security, "The Domestic Politics of Arms Control"
• 1985-86: Zbigniew Brzezinski, National Security Advisor to Jimmy Carter, "Rethinking U.S. Strategy"
• 1984-85: Brent Scowcroft, Former National Security Advisor, "Technology and Strategic Forces"
• 1983-84: Robert S. McNamara, Former Secretary of Defense, "The Military Role of Nuclear Weapons"
• 1982-83: Harold Brown, Former Secretary of Defense, "Deterrence and Strategic Forces"
• 1981-82: James Schlesinger, Former Secretary of Energy and Secretary of Defense, "In Quest of National Security"
• 1980-81: Michael E. Howard, Professor, Oxford University, "On Fighting a Nuclear War"