Lecture: Audie Murphy, an American hero between history and memoirs

War hero, national icon, Hollywood star: Audie Murphy embodies one of the most fascinating – and ambiguous – figures in 20th-century American history. The most decorated soldier in the United States Army during the Second World War, he was quickly elevated to a symbol of courage and sacrifice, before becoming a myth largely shaped by cinema and collective memory.

Jean-François Hazoumé will offer a fresh perspective on Audie Murphy's extraordinary life, examining the constant tension between history, based on facts and sources, and memory, fuelled by stories, images and idealised representations. Following the 80th anniversary commemorations of the Liberation, this lecture invites us to reflect on how we recount, transmit and sometimes transform history.

Jean-François Hazoumé is an associate professor of history and geography. He has also taught at Sciences Po Strasbourg, where he gave courses on the history of international relations, the history of political ideas and contemporary history. A specialist in issues of memory and the Second World War, he is co-creator of the Sentier des Mémoires de Holtzwihr et Riedwihr (Holtzwihr and Riedwihr Memory Trail), dedicated to the battles of the Colmar Pocket, and secretary of the association that promotes it.