Congresses

The International Commission of Military History was established in 1938, when it organized a panel of its own at the International Committee of Historical Sciences’ Congress in Zürich. From then on, the ICMH has participated in the quinquennial CISH Congresses.

In 1969, in preparation for the upcoming CISH Congress in Moscow in 1970, the ICMH organized its first “intermediate colloquy”, in Paris. This was followed by another “colloquy” in 1973, in Stockholm.

 

These meetings, increasingly called “congresses” from 1983 on, soon developed into annual conferences. Their organization has since become one of the main features of the ICMH’s activity. Hundreds of scholars from around the globe convene to compare and discuss their research, thereby helping mutual understanding across national and political boundaries. These congresses are organized by the respective national host commission.

 

48 Congress: 2023 Istanbul, Turkey
War and The City: The Effects of Armed Conflicts on Urban Space and Population
https://icmh2023istanbul.com/

47 Congress: 2022 Wroclaw-Opole, Poland
The Defense of Borders in Military History, from the Middle Ages to the Present Day
http://icmh-mmxxii.wns.uni.opole.pl/ 

46 Congress: 2021 Athens, Greece
Independence Wars since the XVIII Century
https://internationalcongress2021.mil.gr/

45 Congress: 2019 Sofia, Bulgaria
Unsettled problems after the 1919 Peace Conference: military conflicts and diplomatic negotiations
http://www.bcmhll45.com/en/

44 Congress: 2018 Jerusalem, Israel
The Creation of New States and Collapse of Old Empires in the XXth Century

43 Congress: 2017 Douala, Cameroon
World Wars and Colonies in History
http://icmhdouala2017.cm/ 

42 Congress: 2016 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Regional Wars - Global Impacts

41 Congress : 30 VIII - 4 IX 2015 Beijing, China
World War Two and the Development of Warfare in the 20th Century
http://icmh2015.chinatraveldepot.com/ 

40 Congress : 30 VIII - 6 IX 2014 Varna, Bulgaria
World War One, 1914 - 2014
http://www.bcmhll40.com/en/

39 Congress : 1-6 IX 2013 Torino, Italia 
Combined  and Joint Operations in the History of Warfare

38 Congress : 26-31 VIII 2012 Sofia, Bulgaria
Technology and Warfare

37 Congress : 28 VIII - 2 IX 2011 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 
Colonial Wars and Independence Wars from the 18th Century to Today
http://www.eceme.ensino.eb.br/cihm/Arquivos/Apresentacao.htm

36 Congress : 30 VIII - 3 IX 2010 Amsterdam, Netherlands
Insurrection and Counterinsurgency: Irregular Warfare from 1800 to the Present

35 Congress : 31 VIII - 5 IX 2009 Porto (Oporto), Portugal 
Warfare in the Age of Napoleon: Precedents, Military Campaigns and Lasting Impacts 
http://www.cphm.pt

34 Congress : 31 VIII - 5 IX 2008 Trieste, Italia 
Military Conflicts and Civil Populations.Total Wars, Limited Wars, Asymetrical Wars 

33 Congress : 12-17 VIII 2007 Cape Town, South Africa 
Regions, Regional Organisations and Military Power 

32 Congress : 20-25 VIII 2006 Potsdam, Deutschland 
Nation State, Nationalism and the Military 

31 Congress : 21-27 VIII 2005 Madrid, Espana
Terrestial and Naval Power and the Age of Trafalgar 

30 Congress : 1-7 VIII 2004 Rabat, Maroc 
The Economic Aspects of Defense through the Major World Conflicts 

29 Congress : 10-15 VIII 2003 Bucarest, Romania 
War, Military and Media from Gutenberg to Today

28 Congress : 11-17 VIII 2002 Norfolk, USA
Coming to the Americas: The Eurasian Military Impact On the Development of the Western Hemisphere 

27 Congress : 19-25 VIII 2001 Athen, Greece
Military History and 20th Century Geopolitics

26 Congress : 31 VII - 4 VIII 2000 Stockholm, Sweden
The Total War – The Total Defence

25 Congress : 31 VIII - 3 IX1999 Bruxelles, Belgique
Military Alliances since 1945 
(In 1999, a second meeting of the CIHM was held in Tel Aviv, Israel, but this is not counted in the series of CIHM congresses). 

24 Congress : 24-29 VIII 1998 Lisboa, Portugal 
The War and the Encounter of Civilisations, from the XVIth Century 

23 Congress : 24-29 VIII 1997 Praha, Czech Republic 
The Thirty Years’ War

22 Congress : 9-13 IX 1996 Wien, Österreich / Autriche / Austria
Von Crécy bis Mohács : Kriegswesen im späten Mittelalter (Warfare in the Late Middle Ages) (1346-1526)

21 Congress : 20-26 VIII 1995 Québec, Canada
Peacekeeping 1815 to Today

20 Congress : 28 VIII - 3 IX 1994 Warsawa, Poland 
National Insurrections since 1794

19 Congress : 17-24 VIII 1993, Istanbul, Turkey
The Study of the Period between the First and Second World War 1918-1939 from a Viewpoint of Military History 

18 Congress : 30 VIII - 5 IX 1992 Torino, Italia
The Discovery of the New World and its Influence on Military History

17 Congress : 19-24 VIII 1991 Zürich, Schweiz
War and Mountains 

16 Congress : 26 VIII - 2 IX 1990 Madrid, Espana
Influence of Military Thought on War during the Last Five Centuries

15 Congress : 18-23 IX 1989 Paris, France
Influence of the French Revolution on the Armies in France, Europe and the World 

14 Colloque : 16-19 VIII 1988 Montréal, Canada
Conflicts of High and Low Intensity Warfare Since the Second World War

13 Colloque : 31 V-6 VI 1988 Helsinki, Finland
Tactical Developments in 1750-1830 & Intelligence Service and Military Decisions in Europe during the Second World War

12 Colloque : 24-31 VIII 1987 Athen, Greece
The First National Fleets: The Use of Steam In Naval Warfare

11 Congress : 17-24 VIII 1986 Seoul, South Korea
War, Commerce and Empire

10 Congress : 19-24 VIII 1985 Stuttgart, Deutschland
New Research on First World War History 

9 Congress : 19-24 VIII 1984 Tel Aviv, Israel 
Warfare throughout the Ages between Small States and Big Powers

8 Congress : 6-10 VI 1983 Wien, Österreich / Autriche / Austria 
Europe and the Ottomans – Conflicts in the Years between 1500-1800

7 Congress : 25-30 VII 1982 Washington, D.C., USA
Soldier-Statesmen of the Age of the Enlightenment 

6 Congress : 1-5 IX 1981 Montpéllier, France
Armed Forces and Systems of Alliances

5 Congress : 10-17 VIII 1980 Bucarest, Romania
Army and Society

4 Congress : 23-25 VIII 1978 Ottawa, Canada
Armed Forces and Colonial Development

3 Congress : 6-16 VII 1976 Teheran, Iran 
Asian, American and European Influences on Strategy and Tactics & War and Neutrality

2 Congress : 13-19 VIII 1975 Washington, D.C., USA
Developments in Military Technology & Revolutions in America

1 Colloquy: 12-15 VII 1973 Stockholm, Sweden 
Coastal Defence
(In fact, this was the second 'intermediate colloquy', but the first one resulting in an Acta volume.
Consequently, the numbering of the Acta volumes was adopted for counting the CIHM colloquies or congresses)

First intermediate Colloquy, 26 IV 1969, Paris, France (no Acta volume)