Please join us on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 to welcome our guest speaker André Gerolymatos. He will address our Society on From the Crimean War to Syria: Russia’s Middle East Adventure.
Dr. André Gerolymatos is a Professor of History, an Associate Member in the School of Criminology, holds the Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC Chair of Hellenic Studies, and is Director of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Centre for Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. He is also a concurrent Professor at the History College of Nankai University, China.
Dr. Gerolymatos’ topic is From the Crimean War to Syria: Russia’s Middle East Adventure. From the 19th century the Russian Empire began to establish a sphere of influence in the Middle East. The main obstacle to Russian ambitions, until recently, was the Ottoman Empire, and later Turkey, supported by the Royal Navy. The London Straits Convention of 1841 was a British diplomatic victory, which closed the Dardanelles and the Bosporus to Russian warships in and out of the Black Sea. The Crimean War in 1853 was the first religious war since the Crusades, however, Russian strategy was less about religion than about opening the Straits.
In the 20th century the Soviets tried unsuccessfully to dominate the Near and Middle East in order to open up the Straits for their battle fleets. Churchill was one of the few politicians to be conscious of history and warned of the ongoing Russian strategy to establish a sphere of influence in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. This consideration guided his grand strategy in the Second World War and was ultimately adopted by the United States during the Cold War.
>Date/Time: Tuesday, May 15, 2018; Wine & Cheese starts at 5:00 pm, Program from 5:50 – 7:00 pm >
Location: The Vancouver Club, 915 Hastings Street West, Vancouver, B.C.
Cost: $30 each for a Member of the Society, $40 each for a non-Member, $50 for a Member accompanied by either a spouse, partner or an immediate family member
(The ticket cost includes one beverage ticket per attendee for 1 glass of wine or beer, or for 2 soft drinks. Additional drinks can be purchased from the bar)
To register, please contact us.