142. Darkness in the City of Light: The 1937 Paris World’s Fair

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10:15 - 11:15

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Sun, 29 June

142. Darkness in the City of Light: The 1937 Paris World’s Fair

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Mike Neiberg

The International Exhibition of Arts and Techniques Applied to Modern Life was held in Paris from May to November 1937. Over thirty million visitors came to view the pavilions of 52 countries, with highlights including the first public showing of Picasso’s Guernica and the enormous German pavilion designed by Albert Speer. The Expo, intended to celebrate art and progress, was overshadowed by the looming specters of fascism and communism, class conflict, the Spanish Civil War, and the Jewish refugee crisis. Michael Neiberg, Professor of History and Chair of War Studies at the United States Army War College, explores the Fair as a microcosm of Europe’s political and social tensions in the lead-up to World War II, giving an insight into this complex period in European history and examining themes such as ideological conflict, the fragility of democracy, and the plight of Europe’s Jews.