Armed Forces in the Period of Decolonisation (1940-1975)

Recent years have seen a major resurgence in war studies taking the discipline far beyond the narrow confines of operational military history. This regeneration has resulted in classical military history being accompanied by social, economic and cultural history of warfare and societies at war. This has not only been evident in the English-speaking world, but has also been seen in continental Europe. This workshop aims to capitalise on these trends concentrating in particular on the social and cultural history of armed forces between 1940 and 1975.

In the immediate post-war period western European (in particular the British, Belgian, French, Dutch and Portuguese) armed forces went through similar experiences in their colonies as well as in their homelands. A comparative approach will allow us to not only to better understand the specific experience of their armed forces, but also to put this experience into a wider historical context.

The social and cultural transformations of the military institutions are at the heart of our project. The workshop aims to discuss a range of topics such as social structures, anti-guerrilla warfare, interpretation and application of the laws of war, gender studies, the impact of modernization, the evolution of social representations and customs within the armed forces. In addition, we also want to further investigate how the relationship between armed forces and society developed in the in the domestic setting as well as in the colonies. Furthermore, we will try to understand the differing forms of combat, how these were experienced and perceived within the different forces. How was knowledge transferred between the armies and between the conflicts? Were there continuities between the Second World War and the colonial wars and between the different colonial theatres (doctrines, personnel and politics)? How did the doctrines and know-how circulate from generation to generation and from country to country? In what ways did academics and intellectuals influence this knowledge transfer? This leads us to the complex relations between armed forces and civilian authorities (government, etc.), which were often characterized by tensions and divides. Last, but not least, we want to investigate the relationship between the armed forces and civilian society in the homeland and in the colonies. We are particularly interested in the roles of indigenous (native?) auxiliary forces and colonial troops.

This workshop is organized by the research group »Histoire sociale et culturelle de l’armée française pedant la décolonisation« of the German Historical Institute in Paris (IHA) as well as the European network »Armed forces in the times of decolonisation« (Paris 1 – Panthéon-Sorbonne (Dr. Raphaëlle Branche), University of Birmingham (Dr. Peter Gray), La Revue Historiques des Armées (Col. Dr. Frédéric Guelton), University of Sienna (Prof. Nicola Labanca), IHA (Dr. Steffen Prauser)). This call for papers appeals particularly to academics and doctoral students working on the European armed forces during decolonisation. Applications by researchers working on the German and Italian armies during the Second World War are also welcome. We particularly encourage papers on comparative studies-including diachronic comparisons of the German and Italian armies.

Hotel and a contribution to your travel expenses will be offered.

The deadline for applications is 5 September 2012. Please send your CV and a short description (max. 500 words, in English) of your research project. The conference will be held at the German Historical Institute in Paris. The working language will be English.

For more information or to submit your application, please e-mail Dr. Steffen Prauser (sprauserdhi-paris.fr )