Join the Churchill Society of New York and the English-Speaking Union for a discussion on “Churchill and the Middle East”

We would like to invite you to an evening of discussion with David Freeman, Director of Publications and Editor of “Finest Hour” at the International Churchill Society, who will discuss “Churchill and The Middle East.”  
 
Through the desperate twists and turns of the First World War, Britain made various commitments, especially with regard to the Middle East, in the search for allies in their cause. These included the Sykes-Picot Agreement, the Balfour Declaration, alliances with Arab leaders, and acceptance of President Wilson’s Fourteen Points. In the aftermath of the war, the Ottoman Empire having collapsed, the British had to try to make good on this thicket of often conflicting promises. The man chosen to resolve the problem was Winston Churchill. Advised by T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia) and Gertrude Bell, Churchill presided over a series of meetings and decisions in 1921–22 that gave rise to the Middle East as we know it today.
 
Mr. Freeman earned his Ph.D. in modern British history at Texas A&M University and has taught classes on world history, US history, European history, British history, and the Second World War (all with a heavy emphasis on Winston Churchill) at California State University, Fullerton, Coastline Community College and Saddleback College. Mr. Freeman is also qualified as a US Navy fast-attack submarine nuclear reactor operator.  Mr. Freeman has published numerous articles about Winston Churchill, including “These Thankless Deserts,” Winston Churchill and the Middle East: An Introduction.   
For the first time, the US International Public Speaking Competition Finals will be held at the ESU in NYC on April 24th to select the Delegate to send to London with a speech to celebrate the impact of two powerful public speakers —  Winston Churchill and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Both former presidents of the ESU embodied different but complementary traditions of leadership through speech.