Folge 17: Exposing the Fault Lines? How Corona has Affected American Civil-Military Relations

The German view of the American military has for a long time been dominated by the presence of U.S. forces in the country. Germany has certainly profited from this presence for decades, but it has become somewhat controversial recently, on both sides of the Atlantic. In this episode of the HCA podcast, Anja Schüler talks with David Eisler about how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected American civil-military relations. Their conversation shines a light on the American military and its role in the Corona crisis, but also on the military’s larger position in American politics and society. David Eisler is a doctoral candidate in the HCA’s Graduiertenkolleg “Authority and Trust,” finishing his dissertation on civil-military relations and American war fiction. He has also served five years on active duty in the United States Army, with tours in Germany, Iraq, and Afghanistan.