1919 & the Crack Up, with Ted Widmer

Jan 17, 2019

Created and hosted by Carnegie Council Senior Fellow Ted Widmer, "The Crack-Up" is a special podcast series about the events of 1919, a year that in many ways shaped the 20th century and the modern world. And throughout 2019, "The New York Times" will be running long features on the legacy of 1919. These videos explain why 1919 was such an important year, what "the crack-up" means, and previews upcoming essays and podcasts.

Created and hosted by Carnegie Council Senior Fellow Ted Widmer, "The Crack-Up" is a special podcast series about the events of 1919, a year that in many ways shaped the 20th century and the modern world. And throughout 2019, The New York Times will be running long features on the legacy of 1919.

These videos explain why 1919 was such an important year, what "the crack-up" means, and previews upcoming essays and podcasts.

Widmer discusses his new podcast series, "The Crack-Up," which looks at how 1919 shaped the modern world.

Widmer talks about how 1919 shaped the modern world, touching on Woodrow Wilson, the end of World War I, and new technology, such as the automobile and film.

Widmer speaks about how Europe and the Middle East coped with the aftermath of World War I and Woodrow Wilson's thoughts on democracy.

You may also like

NOV 25, 2025 Video

Geopolitics in an Era of AGI

As nations and researchers race to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI), watch this expert panel discuss the geopolitical impacts of this technology.

NOV 20, 2025 Podcast

The Principle of Pragmatic Idealism, with Björn Holmberg

Björn Holmberg, executive director of the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, joins "Values & Interests" to discuss the power of pragmatic idealism across international relations.

he bright rays of the sun are shining from saturated clouds to mountain. CREDIT: PhilipYb Studio/Shutterstock.com.

NOV 7, 2025 Report

Ethical Stimulus for a Time of Climate Crisis

Access this report which argues that applied ethics offers promising potential to identify new pathways to normalize and accelerate implementation of climate action.