LAHS NEWS RELEASE
The Los Alamos Historical Society is pleased to announce its upcoming free public lecture on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Pajarito Room at Fuller Lodge.
The evening will feature guest speaker Edward A. Kaplan, Dean of the School of Strategic Landpower at the U.S.Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Following the lecture, Kaplan will sign copies of his books, To Kill Nations: American Strategy in the Air Atomic Age and The Rise of Mutually Assured Destruction and The End of Victory: Prevailing in the Thermonuclear Age. Copies are currently available in the Museum Shop and will also be available for purchase at the event.
Kaplan’s talk, “Square Pegs into Round Holes: The Air Force and Nuclear Weapons in Limited War, 1950–1960,” examines how the U.S. Air Force struggled to adapt its nuclear weapons, originally designed for a large-scale war with the Soviet Union, to the smaller conflicts and international crises of the 1950s. These efforts exposed a common institutional challenge: applying familiar solutions to new and unfamiliar problems. Using declassified war plans, RAND simulations, and a previously unreleased Strategic Air Command film, Kaplan reveals how Air Force leaders approached thesechallenges and explores lessons for today’s institutions as they adopt emerging technologies and align them with strategic objectives.
Dr. Kaplan serves as Dean of the School of Strategic Landpower at the U.S. Army War College, where he helps guide the education of senior military officers, international partners, and civilian leaders. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, he served 26 years as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force, retiring with the rank of colonel. His assignments included Executive Officer to the Director for Intelligence on the Joint Staff, Senior Editor of the Daily Intelligence Briefing for the Secretary of Defense, and Professor and Head of the History Department at the Air Force Academy in Colorado. Kaplan earned his Ph.D. in history from the University of Calgary in 2007 and specializes in
nuclear history and strategy.
The Los Alamos Historical Society extends its sincere appreciation to Enterprise Bank and Trust for their generous sponsorship of the 2026-2027 Lecture Series and for their ongoing commitment to the programs and initiatives of the Historical Society.
We appreciate your continued support and look forward to seeing you Tuesday, Nov. 10!
To view lectures online, visit the Los Alamos Historical Society YouTube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/@LosAlamosHistoricalSociety