Churchill authorities from around the world gathered in the French capital for an international conference held 23–25 September at the University of Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV) and at the Invalides War Museum. The conference was organised by Paris-Sorbonne in association with the Musée de l’Armée and the Charles de Gaulle Foundation, which hosted a major exhibition at the Musée de l’Armée on “Churchill – de Gaulle” earlier this year. Professor Antoine Capet, Emeritus Professor of British Studies at the University of Rouen and Professor Claire Charlot, of Paris-Sorbonne University, served as Convenors.

François Kersuady, author of Churchill and de Gaulle, delivered the Keynote Speech on “Churchill and France.” Speakers at the first full panel of the conference addressed issues connected with the First World War. John H. Maurer, of the US Naval War College, spoke about “Churchill and the Challenge from Imperial Germany.” John Young, of the University of Nottingham, discussed “Churchill and the July Crisis of 1914,” and Christopher Bell, of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, talked about “Churchill and the Dardanelles,” the subject of his next book.

Other contributors at the conference spoke about “Churchill at War on the Nile,” James W. Muller; “Winston Churchill and the Golden Age of Journalism,” Richard Toye; “Winston Churchill, Appeasement, and the Origins of the Second World War,” B.J.C. McKercher; “What Churchill and de Gaulle Learned from the Great War,” Will Morrisey; “Winston Churchill and the End of Empire,” Philip Murphy; and “Winston Churchill as Seen by Isaiah Berlin,” Alexis Butin.

Plans are in development to compile all of the papers in a single book.

Photo above: Gathering at Les Invalides from left to right: Will Morrisey, Philip Murphy, John Charmley, James W. Muller, John Maurer, Christopher Bell, and Richard Toye.