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

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."

Register

Register now for the 2012 International Conference on WWII.

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Schedule

Thursday
December 6th, 2012
At The National WWII Museum

  • 9:00am - 5:00pm Registration
  • 5:00pm - 8:00pm Opening Reception and Keynote Address
    TBD

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

  • 8:00am - 8:05am Welcoming Remarks
    Dr. Mueller
  • 8:05am - 10:00am "The Nazis Unleashed – Unbridled Aggression"
    • "Expanding the Third Reich – 1938-1941"
      Dr. Gerhard Weinberg
    • "Operation Barbarossa and Beyond – June 1941-June 1942"
      Robert Citino
    • "Dealing with 'The Question' – The Origins of the Final Solution"
      Christopher Browning
  • 10:00am - 10:30am Break
  • 10:30am - 11:30am "Playing for my Enemies: A Jewish Prodigy's Story of Survival"
    Ms. Zhanna Arshanskaya Dawson
    Interviewer : Greg Dawson (son)
  • 11:30am - 12:00pm Break
  • 12:00pm - 1:00pm "Stalingrad: The Epic Battle on the Eastern Front"
    Col. David Glantz
  • 1:00pm - 1:30pm Break
  • 1:30pm - 3:30pm "The Grand Strategy"
    • Introduction
      Dr. Allan R. Millett
    • "Germany First: The Allied Road to the Second Front"
      Mark Stoler
    • "The American Strategy and the 90 Division 'Gamble"
      Dr. Conrad Crane
    • "Retooling America for War"
      Dr. Keith Huxen
  • 3:30pm - 4:00pm Break
  • 4:00pm - 5:15pm "The U-Boat Peril"
    • "The Battle of the Atlantic"
      Dr. J. Marc Milner
    • "Surviving the Wolf Pack"
      Veteran Account, TBD
  • 5:15pm - 5:45pm Break
  • 6:00pm - 8:00pm Meet the Speakers Reception and US Freedom Pavilion Showcase
    The National WWII Museum

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

  • 8:00am - 8:05am Welcoming Remarks
    Dr. Mueller
  • 8:05am - 9:00am "Eisenhower in War"
  • 9:00am - 9:30am Break
  • 9:30am - 10:30am "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"
      TBD
  • 10:30pm - 11:00pm Break
  • 11:00am - 12:30pm "The Only Way to Strike at Hitler: US Airpower"
    • "The 8th Air Force Takes Flight"
      Dr. Don Miller
    • "From Nazi Skies to the Enola Gay: A Conversation with Dutch Van Kirk"
      Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk
  • 1:00pm - 2:00pm "An Army at Dawn: The First Step to Liberation"
    Rick Atkinson
  • 2:00pm - 2:30pm Break
  • 2:30pm - 4:00pm "Defeating the Desert Fox"
    • "Monty' in Africa"
      Dr. Nigel Hamilton
    • "Patton: A Genius for War"
      Carlo D'Este
  • 4:00pm - 4:15pm Break
  • 4:15pm - 5:15pm "Voices of the War: Fighting in the Desert"
    Walt Ehlers - 3rd & 1st Infantry Division
    Gerhard Hennes – Afrika Korps veteran
    Interviewer : Rick Atkinson
  • 5:15pm - 5:45pm Break
  • 6:00pm - 10:00pm Closing Banquet
    The National WWII 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"

Host Hotel

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

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!