The International Conference On World War II : December 6-8, 2012 | New Orleans, Louisiana

Presented by Tawani Foundation in association with the Pritzker Military Library and The Brown Foundation, Inc., of Houston

Tawani Foundation in association with the Pritzker Military Library
Brown Foundation

With additional support from AT&T and World War II Magazine

AT&T
World War II Magazine

The 2012 International Conference on WWII, The End of the Beginning, focuses on the decisive events of 1942. Despite serious losses and setbacks early in the war, America and her Allies learned from their mistakes and slowly began to roll back the Axis gains. The conference title comes from a Winston Churchill address in November of 1942, "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

 

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Purchase tickets for the 2012 International Conference on WWII.

Hotel rooms are limited. To book a hotel at the Conference rate, please call 877-813-3329 x 511.

Register

 


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webstreaming

Register to stream the Conference online.

If you can't make it to New Orleans to attend the Conference in person, you can still view all of the lectures and panel discussions in real time through the Webstreaming option. You won't miss a thing, even if you aren't watching when the lecture is happening — all lectures will be archived and you can watch them at your convenience.

This option is a great deal at only $99. You'll get a password that will allow you to log in and view live video or archives anytime you want to.

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Schedule

Thursday
December 6th, 2012
At the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel

  • 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Opening Reception
  • 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Opening Keynote Address
    • "Hitlerland: American Eyewitnesses to the Nazi Rise to Power"
      Andrew Nagorski

Friday
December 7th, 2012
At the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel

  • 8:00 am – 8:05 am Welcoming Remarks
    Dr. Nick Mueller
  • 8:05 am – 10:00 am "The Nazis Unleashed: Unbridled Aggression"
    • "Expanding the Third Reich: 1938 – 1941"
      Dr. Gerhard Weinberg
    • "Operation Barbarossa and Beyond: June 1941 – June 1942"
      Dr. Robert Citino
    • "Dealing with 'The Question': The Origins of the Final Solution"
      Dr. Christopher Browning
  • 10:00 am – 10:30 am Break
  • 10:30 am – 11:30 am "Playing for my Enemies: A Jewish Prodigy's Story of Survival"
    A conversation with Ms. Zhanna Arshanskaya Dawson
  • 11:30 am – 12:00 pm Break
  • 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm "Stalingrad: The Epic Battle on the Eastern Front"
    Col. David Glantz
  • 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm Break
  • 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm "The Grand Strategy"
    • Moderator
      Dr. Allan R. Millett
    • "Germany First: The Allied Road to the Second Front"
      Dr. Conrad Crane
    • "The American Strategy and the 90 Division 'Gamble'"
      Mark Stoler
    • "Retooling America for War"
      Dr. Keith Huxen
  • 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm Break
  • 4:00 pm – 4:45 pm "The U-Boat Peril"
    • "The Battle of the Atlantic"
      Dr. J. Marc Milner
    • "Surviving the Wolf Pack"
      Veteran Account
  • 4:45 pm – 5:00 pm Break
  • 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm "United We Win!"
    • "The American Noah: The Story of Andrew Higgins"
      Jerry Strahan
    • "We're All in the Fight: African Americans at Work"
      Betty Reid Soskin
    • "Women on the Home Front"
  • 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Meet the Speaker Reception

Saturday
December 8th, 2012
At the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel

  • 8:00 am – 8:45 am
  • "Eisenhower in War"
    Dr. Jean Edward Smith
  • 9:00 am – 9:15 am Break
  • 9:15 am – 10:40 am "The Only Way to Strike at Hitler: US Airpower"
    • "The 8th Air Force Takes Flight"
      Dr. Donald Miller
    • "From Nazi Skies to the Enola Gay: A Conversation with Theodore 'Dutch' Van Kirk"
  • 10:40 am – 11:00 am Break
  • 11:00 am – 11:45 am "An Army at Dawn: The First Step to Liberation"
    Rick Atkinson
  • 11:45 am – 12:15 pm Break and book signing in the hospitality room in the Astor Ballroom, box lunches available in the Grand Gallery
  • 12:15 pm – 1:30 pm "Defeating the Desert Fox"
    • Moderator
      Col. Roger Cirillo
    • "'Monty' in Africa"
      Nigel Hamilton
    • "Patton: A Genius for War"
      Carlo D'Este
  • 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm Break and book signing in the hospitality room in the Astor Ballroom
  • 2:00 pm – 3:05 pm "Voices of the War: Fighting in the Desert"
    Interviewer: Rick Atkinson
    Walt Ehlers — 3rd & 1st Infantry Division
    Gerhard Hennes — Afrika Korps
  • 3:15 pm – 7:00 pm Shuttle Service begins between Astor Crowne Plaza and The National World War II Museum
  • 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm Open House at The National World War II Museum
  • 7:30 pm – 9:45 pm Closing Banquet
    at the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel
    "The Legacy of Legends: Generals Patton and Bradley – A Family Perspective"
    • The Patton Family – George Patton “Pat” Waters
    • The Soldier’s General – Omar Bradley “Brad” Beukema
    Conference Adjournment – Herschel Abbott, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, The National World War II Museum

videos

Enjoy video from the 2011 International Conference on WWII.

  • "The Doolittle Raiders: In Their Own Words"
  • Nick Clooney
    "The Movies That Changed Us"
  • Jonathan Parshall
    "Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway"
  • "Oral History: Doolittle Raiders"

History & Heritage

December 3 – 6, 2012

Let us plan your visit for you with the new History & Heritage Tour. Experience all the best that The National WWII Museum has to offer as well as the rich history and culture of New Orleans.

Join us for an itinerary that includes touring the galleries of the Museum and new John E. Kushner Restoration Pavilion, the 4-D film Beyond All Boundaries and the delicious on-site dining at the American Sector restaurant. Outside the Museum, participants will tour one of the nation's most historic cities and enjoy world-famous New Orleans cuisine. Highlights include an afternoon cruise on the Mississippi River aboard the Steamboat Natchez and shopping and exploring amidst the architectural treasures of the French Quarter.

Find Out More!

Host Hotel

The Astor Crowne Plaza
739 Canal Street at Bourbon
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130

Rooms are limited. To book a hotel at the Conference rate, please call 877-813-3329 x 511.

The Astor Crowne Plaza, located at the Gateway to the French Quarter where Canal Street meets Bourbon Street, is one of the most popular New Orleans hotels. The excitement of the French Quarter awaits you right outside the door of the Astor, unmatched among Bourbon Street hotels. Whether you are looking for world-renowned dining or the intoxicating sounds of New Orleans’ jazz or blues, you are in the heart of it all. Few New Orleans Hotels offer easier access to nearby attractions like Harrah’s Casino, the Aquarium of the Americas, Jackson Square, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Riverwalk Marketplace, the New Orleans Arena and the Superdome.

This 693-room, AAA 4-Diamond, Bourbon Street hotel is the “place to meet” for business or pleasure. The Astor Crowne Plaza New Orleans hosts over 32,000 square feet of elegant meeting and function space — perfect for a board meeting of twelve or a social gathering of over 700 guests. A top choice among New Orleans hotels with superior guest rooms, the Astor Crowne Plaza’s guest accommodations offer an array of amenities such as in-room safes, two dual-line phones with voice mail, high‐speed internet access, blow dryers, iron and ironing board, CD players, coffee/tea makers, as well as Crowne Plaza’s Sleep Advantage bedding with sleep amenities. The hotel’s services include a 24-hour business center, fitness room, outdoor pool and terrace, executive level accommodations and a concierge to assist you with your plans for the day or evening.

The hotel is home to Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House Restaurant and Seafood Bar. Enjoy true Southern cuisine and fresh seafood selections — for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The staff at the Astor Crowne Plaza New Orleans is truly versed in Southern Hospitality and ready to not just meet your expectations — but to exceed them. Mix a little pleasure into your next business trip or if your agenda is for pleasure only, let the good times roll at Astor Crowne Plaza New Orleans, one of the finest Bourbon Street hotels!