Have to admit, I'd expected this file marked 'Complaints by General de Gaulle' to be much thicker.

TheDreyfus statue will be placed opposite the Cour de cassation. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Alfred Dreyfus statue to finally receive permanent home in central Paris

Sculpture of Jewish army officer wrongly accused of treason has been moved around the city for decades

theguardian.com

CFP: Protect civilians from air warfare. Civil defence in France and Europe during the Second World War/ Protéger les civils de la guerre aérienne. Les défenses passives en France et en Europe pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale Deadline 31 July 2026 calenda.org/1383614

Protéger les civils de la guerre aérienne. Les défenses passives en...

Depuis les années 1920, les frontières entre le front et l’arrière s’estompent jusqu’à ce que les civils deviennent les premières victimes de la guerre aérienne pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale. ...

calenda.org

Since today marks the 86th anniversary, here's the original manuscript of General de Gaulle's 18 June 1940 'appel' on BBC radio, exhibited last year at the Archives Nationales (Paris).

I’m delighted to learn that my edited volume on the Franco-Prussian War is now available in cheaper paperback edition. www.routledge.com/The-Franco-P...

The Franco-Prussian War: Turning-Points in European Experiences and Perceptions of Military Conflict

The Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71 has traditionally been seen as a limited conflict between French and German forces. This edited volume challenges this view and shows that it was a war of ideas, val...

routledge.com

Please sign the petition below in support of colleagues at Nottingham, where courses in the highly respected Dept of Modern Languages & Cultures have been earmarked for suspension.

We Can Make an Impact.

Stop the removal of Modern Languages courses at the University of Nottingham!

c.org

It can often be difficult to get reviews of edited volumes. I'm therefore very grateful to Michael Epkenhans for this thoughtful review of my edited volume, The Franco-Prussian War. Turning-Points in European Experiences and Perceptions of Military Conflict. www.hsozkult.de/publicationr...

Interesting graphic on the longevity of France's Prime Ministers under the Fifth Republic. Pompidou comes out top at 2279 days!

Le Figaro@lefigaro.fr · 11mo ago

L’Assemblée nationale a voté majoritairement contre la confiance à François Bayrou. Le Béarnais va quitter Matignon après 270 jours d’exercice.

On 13 September, I'll be speaking about the Allied bombing of France and its colonial empire during the Second World War as part of this year's Royal Society of Edinburgh Curious Festival. rse.org.uk/event/the-mo...

The moral cost of victory during WWII

Explore how Allied bombing in WWII caused civilian deaths in France and colonies – and how leaders justified these moral and ethical dilemmas.

rse.org.uk

According to a poll for Le Figaro, 83% of the French population oppose the government's plans to allow the Corsican Assembly to pass legislation. www.corsenetinfos.corsica/Le-Figaro-so...

Le Figaro sonde ses lecteurs sur l’autonomie corse : plus de 83 % contre le pouvoir législatif

Alors que le projet de révision constitutionnelle sur l’autonomie de la Corse a été adopté en Conseil des ministres, un sondage en ligne lancé par Le Figaro révèle une large majorité d'opinions défavo...

corsenetinfos.corsica

Batholdi's Lion de Belfort at place Denfert-Rochereau in Paris looks like it would benefit from being cleaned.

Registration for 'Resist' French History conference, Paris. Already good.

As an added bonus, I also saw Louis XVI's famous 'rien' diary entry for 14 July 1789.

Karine Varley@karinevarley.bsky.social · last yr.

Since the archives in Paris were closed today, I went to the Musée des Archives Nationales to see the original manuscript of de Gaulle's 'appel' of 18 June 1940. Fascinating to see the revisions.

Since the archives in Paris were closed today, I went to the Musée des Archives Nationales to see the original manuscript of de Gaulle's 'appel' of 18 June 1940. Fascinating to see the revisions.

Macron announces annual commemoration for Alfred Dreyfus on 12 July. www.elysee.fr/emmanuel-mac...

Une journée de commémoration nationale pour Alfred Dreyfus, pour la victoire de la justice et de la vérité contre la haine et l’antisémitisme.

Lire la déclaration du Président de la République.

elysee.fr

Waiting for my delayed flight and already bumped into another French historian heading to the Paris conference

Is Macron planning to 'go on and on'? www.politico.eu/article/macr...

Macron in 2032? French leader floats future in national politics after term ends

The French president is constitutionally barred from serving a third consecutive term but could return in a later election.

politico.eu

I thoroughly enjoyed attending 'The Global Mediterranean and the Long Second World War' conference in Naples. Excellent papers combined with an amazing setting, finished off with pizza. Lots of new approaches to the Mediterranean to think over.

Today's views from the conference

Karine Varley@karinevarley.bsky.social · last yr.

As conference locations go, this is pretty good...

As conference locations go, this is pretty good...

Karine Varley@karinevarley.bsky.social · last yr.

Looking forward to discussing the Mediterranean dimensions of the Second World War in Naples over the next couple of days.

Looking forward to discussing the Mediterranean dimensions of the Second World War in Naples over the next couple of days.

Just caught this interesting new exhibition at the Imperial War Museum.

Interesting discussion about the periodisation of the Second World War at the National Army Museum last night. Looking forward to the rest of the conference.

'Promoting Alfred Dreyfus to the rank of brigadier general would constitute an act of reparation, a recognition of his merits, and a tribute to his commitment to the republic.' www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

France finally acts to deliver justice in infamous Dreyfus case

More than century on, wronged officer is in line for posthumous promotion

theguardian.com

L’Assemblée nationale vote à l’unanimité l’élévation d’Alfred Dreyfus au grade de « général de brigade »

L’Assemblée nationale vote à l’unanimité l’élévation d’Alfred Dreyfus au grade de « général de brigade »

Condamné à partir de fausses accusations montées sur fond d’antisémitisme, le capitaine avait demandé à voir sa carrière revalorisée dès son innocence reconnue, en 1906, sans obtenir gain de cause. Le...

lemonde.fr

Good to hear about the work of the Cross-Party Group on Europe and the European Movement in Scotland at yesterday's European Diversity Month reception at the Scottish Parliament.

The French government has withdrawn an AI-generated film celebrating the French Resistance after it was pointed out that it featured a German soldier, rather than a French one.

Nazi fêtant la libération de Paris : le gouvernement foire son hommage à la Résistance avec une vidéo générée par IA

L’exécutif a publié, mardi 28 mai, une vidéo aberrante générée par intelligence artificielle avant de la supprimer face au tollé. Au-delà des questions éthiques, la vidéo contient de grossières erreur...

liberation.fr

Still so much to be gained from watching Le Chagrin et la pitié all these years later. I've seen it so many times and each time I spot something new. www.theguardian.com/film/2025/ma...

Marcel Ophuls, Oscar-winning film-maker of The Sorrow and the Pity, dies aged 97

The German-French documentarian, who fled the Nazis twice as a child, spent his career exploring wartime atrocities and conflicts

theguardian.com

This reminded me how some of the archives I looked at on the Allied bombing of France were only declassified in 2020. Would be interesting to know why.

'Mystery' of Hull Blitz report classified for 100 years

Hull MP Dame Diana Johnson says keeping the document under embargo until 2042 is

bbc.co.uk

To mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day and the end of the Second World War, next week I'll be speaking about the Allied bombing and liberation of France at the Alliance Française in Glasgow. www.afglasgow.org.uk/community/ev...