NEW ORLEANS (August 22, 2013) — The public is invited to join award-winning historians and military experts in New Orleans on November 21 – 23 for the International Conference on WWII and explore the momentous decisions of a year that altered the course of the war that changed the world. Time is of the essence for those interested in attending. Space at the popular conference is disappearing fast.
1943: Victory in the Balance, the third installment of the Museum’s 70th Anniversary of World War II Conference Series presented by Tawani Foundation in association with Pritzker Military Library, will feature a noted lineup of academic and military stars including US Army General (ret.) David Petraeus, best-selling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Rick Atkinson, military historian Donald L. Miller, British historian and Yale professor Paul Kennedy, and The National WWII Museum’s President and CEO Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller.
“This year’s conference will be one of our most engaging to date, featuring exceptional speakers and topics,” Mueller said. “Understanding the shifting currents and high stakes of World War II requires a close examination of the events of 1943. It was an incredibly anxious time for the Allies — we could have still lost the war, bringing consequences we can hardly imagine today.”
The two-and-a-half-day conference focuses on the pivotal events of 1943, America’s second full year of fighting and a period when the tide of war finally turned to favor the Allies. Featured are an array of events and seminars that explore the personalities and controversies at a time of immense risk and challenge. Topics cover both the European and Pacific Theaters. They include Island Hopping in the Pacific, Learning the Lessons of Amphibious Landings, A Tale of Two Invasions: Salerno vs. Anzio and The Ground War in Italy.
Other outstanding WWII historians serving as conference panelists include Max Boot, Conrad Crane, Rob Citino, Richard Frank, Alex Kershaw and Allan Millett.
“Allied triumphs in the Mediterranean, Allied advances in the Pacific, in Italy, and on the Eastern Front, Allied domination of sea and sky — these developments reveal how pivotal 1943 was during World War II,” said Atkinson. “For the first time, victory over the Axis powers not only seemed possible, but probable.”
Miller added that during the year 1943, “after suffering a series of staggering defeats the previous year, the war began to go better for the Allies. But despite stirring victories at Guadalcanal, Stalingrad and in North Africa, at the end of 1943 the war was still in the balance. While optimists predicted victory in the ‘foreseeable future,’ wiser heads knew that there is no such thing as the foreseeable future. The future can never be foreseen.”
This in-depth conference includes far more than presentations. Evenings will offer a chance to talk with attendees, speakers and Museum historians over cocktails and fine dining. The closing banquet will include the George P. Shultz Forum on World Affairs, featuring Gen. Petraeus and Boot in a presentation entitled Grappling with the Lessons of History: The Legacy of WWII in Modern Combat and Intelligence.
This extraordinary gathering of military experts and historians offers an exciting opportunity for those interested in WWII and American history.
For more information on the International Conference on World War II, pricing and accommodations, visit the event website at www.ww2conference.com or call 877-813-3329 x 511.
The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American Experience in the war that changed the world — why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today. Dedicated in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum and designated by Congress as America’s National WWII Museum, it celebrates the American Spirit, the teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifice of the men and women who fought on the battlefront and the Home Front. For more information, call 877-813-3329 or 504-527-6012 or visit www.nationalww2museum.org. Follow us on Twitter at WWIImuseum or visit our Facebook fan page.