Annual Conference of the Society for the Study of French History

Theme: Peace and Justice in French History

France’s long history of revolutions, wars, decolonisation, and democratic reforms provides a unique forum for examining the interplay between peace and justice. From the crusaders’ call to holy war to peacebuilding experiments after the French Wars of Religion, from the Revolution’s radical redefinition of citizenship to the post-World War II reconstruction of the Republic, and from the Algerian War of Independence and its fraught legacy to modern movements for social equity and environmental justice, French history offers compelling evidence of how people confront violence, negotiate reconciliation, and campaign for social justice. By focusing on these themes, this conference seeks to explore the mechanisms through which societies have sought to redress past wrongs and prevent future conflict.