Great War: Unknown War 2017-18 Archive
Please see below details of the events we've held so far.
GWUW 2017-18 Launch Event 28 June 2017
Keynote: British Imperial Armies in the Final Stages of the Global War (Gary Sheffield, Wolverhampton)
Lawrence of Arabia and the Revolt in the Desert
Lifelong Learning Study Day, 1 July 2017
Lawrence of Arabia
In collaboration with LifeLong Learning at the University of Southampton, GWUW present this first study day of the programme.
Over fifty students of Middle Eastern politics attended the third centenary study day, on this occasion marking one hundred years since T.E. Lawrence led the Arab attack on the Ottoman Empire’s Red Sea port of Aqaba. Four speakers from the Faculty – Chris Prior scene-setting, Tim Champion explaining archaeology’s relevance to pre-war great power rivalry, Adrian Smith locating Lawrence in post-war inter-service rivalry, and Mark Levene reflecting on the legacy of Anglo-French real politick a century on – were joined by guest speakers Kerry Webber and Anthony Sattin. The former detailed the wider activities of the British military mission in the Hejaz, while the latter discussed Lawrence’s formative years as a student and archaeologist. An appreciative audience found Tim Champion’s talk illuminating, Chris Prior’s introduction insightful, and Mark Levene’s conclusion thought-provoking; but healthy sales of Anthony Sattin’s Young Lawrence: a Portrait of the Legend as a Young Man confirmed its author’s talk as a highlight of the day. Organiser Adrian Smith was delighted with how the day went, not least thanks to Tracy Storey and her support staff. Already plans are finalised for next June’s study day, ‘DAZZLE – Disguise and Disruption in War and Art’, intended to complement art exhibitions and outreach activities in Lymington and Southampton.