The French Revolution is a watershed moment in the history of France and, indeed, that of Europe and the World. Yet, common understanding of
the Révolution can err on the side of clichés, with the Guillotine immediately springing to mind. First and foremost, the French Révolution
is a major change of political system, an earthquake that irremediably altered French and European institutions. This new cycle of
conferences aims to investigate what caused the French Revolution, how it unfolded, and its major short and long-term consequences. We
will explore how, after a thousand years, the French people did away with the monarchy and the last Capetian king: Louis XVI, of the House
of Bourbon, to embrace liberté, égalité & fraternité.
Booking:
Booking is available on the website until the day prior of the event.
For All Three Conferences:
3 Conference Pack
$45 for members & students
$50 for non-membes
For Single Conferences:
Conference I Only | Conference
II Only | Conference III Only
$15 for members & students
$20 for non-members
For more information:
Please contact Reception
if you have any questions.
Friday 15 October - 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Alliance Française d'Adélaïde
This conference presents a chronology of the key steps in the French Revolution, focusing on 1789. The Estates General, the Tennis Court Oath, the Storming of the Bastille and the Night of the Fourth of August count among the most important revolutionary days, which I will present and contextualise. Essentially, this first conference is a narrative history of the major moments and protagonists in the French Revolution, from 1789 to 1799.
Friday 12 November - 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Alliance Française d'Adélaïde
After having presented what happened between 1789 and 1799 during the first conference, we will discuss the various causes of the French Revolution. Why did it happen when it did? What drove people of France to break away from centuries of traditions so decisively and so abruptly? From structural causes such as absolutism in France and the Enlightenment to more conjectural ones such as the financial situation of the kingdom and poor harvests, we will endeavour to understand what triggered the French Revolution.
Friday 10 December - 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Alliance Française d'Adélaïde
The French Revolution changed Europe and political institutions across the globe. It represents a clear rupture in world history. Its impacts are considerable and expand well beyond French territory. This conference investigates the consequences of the revolution on the late 18th and early 19th century. The Revolution changed administrative and political structures in France but also in other parts of the world that sought to model their regime in alignment with or in reaction to revolutionary France. This conference will also delve into the Napoleonic moment, French republicanism, the formation of France as a modern nation, and other revolutions that modelled themselves after the Révolution française.
Dr. Romain Fathi is a French historian whose longstanding research interests are concerned with Australian national identity, the First World War and the history of public health. While researching Australian history, Romain is also passionate about the history of his own country, France, where he was born and raised.
He obtained a jointly awarded PhD with Sciences Po (Paris, France) and The University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia). Romain studied and taught in several universities including Sciences Po, Yale, the University of Queensland. He now holds a position of Senior Lecturer in History at Flinders University.
For more information on Romain’s research and publications, please see: https://romainfathi.com/my-story
Dr. Romain Fathi is a French historian whose longstanding research interests are concerned with Australian national identity, the First World War and the history of public health. While researching Australian history, Romain is also passionate about the history of his own country, France, where he was born and raised.
He obtained a jointly awarded PhD with Sciences Po (Paris, France) and The University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia). Romain studied and taught in several universities including Sciences Po, Yale, the University of Queensland. He now holds a position of Senior Lecturer in History at Flinders University.
For more information on Romain’s research and publications, please see: https://romainfathi.com/my-story
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John West-Sooby is Emeritus Professor of French at the University of Adelaide. He has worked for many years on Nicolas Baudin’s voyage of discovery to Australia and has authored or co-produced numerous books and articles on the subject, including Encountering Terra Australis. The Australian Voyages of Nicolas Baudin and Matthew Flinders (with Jean Fornasiero and Peter Monteath), French Designs on Colonial New South Wales (with Jean Fornasiero), and The Art of Science: Nicolas Baudin’s Voyagers (1800–1803) (with Jean Fornasiero and Lindl Lawton).
He has also published widely on nineteenth-century French literature and on crime fiiction (French and Australian). He currently has two books in preparation: the first is a collection of essays by eminent scholars on the science and the scientists of the Baudin expedition; the second is a volume of essays on French contributions to our cultural life, entitled What have the French ever done for us?
Become a member of Alliance Française d’Adélaïde for exclusive offers and discounts.
