Call for papers

The Society for the Study of French History warmly invites graduate students, early career researchers, and established scholars to submit a proposal to present at the next annual conference, to be held at the University of Groningen (The Netherlands) from 30 June–2 July 2026. We welcome proposals covering any aspect of French history broadly defined, but are particularly interested in papers that explore the history of peace and justice in France and the wider francophone world. We encourage contributions that illuminate how ideas, institutions, and movements have shaped – and been shaped by – efforts toward social justice, reconciliation, and peacebuilding.

Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• Religious minorities (Huguenots, Jews, and Muslims) and the negotiation of legal protection;
• Peasant uprisings, guild disputes, and the role of the state in mediating economic inequality;
• Gendered dimensions of justice, such as women’s petitions, labor participation, and property rights;
• Peacebuilding and transitional justice strategies, including trials, truth commissions, and reparations after the Wars of Religion, French Revolution, Vichy regime, Algerian War, and other periods of state violence;
• The Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789) and its implementation;
• The abolition of slavery (1848) and its aftermath;
• Decolonization processes (Algeria, Indochina, and Africa) and the mechanisms of truth‑seeking, compensation, and reconciliation;
• The role of French diplomatic initiatives in the League of Nations and the United Nations;
• European integration as a peace project, such as the Schuman Plan, the Treaty of Rome, and French contributions to supranational governance;
• Contemporary peace and protest movements, anti‑racism activism, and the politics of secularism (laïcité) in fostering social cohesion;
• Environmental justice and climate-related conflicts in French history;
• Digital archives, oral histories, and new methodologies for studying peace and justice.

Submission Guidelines

Speakers will generally be allocated twenty minutes for their presentations and ten minutes for discussion. We also welcome proposals for panels or alternative formats, such as roundtables and poster presentations. In your proposal submission, please include a 300-word abstract and 100-word biography. If proposing a panel or roundtable, please also submit a 300-word description of that event. The extended deadline for proposals is 30 January 2026.