This morning began bright and early as the bus pulled up in front of our residence. We were soon on our way to Verdun, which to be honest I had never heard of until I was given the background reading in our itinerary. Verdun was an essential town in World War 1, as it was well fortified near the German-French border and guarded a direct path to Paris. The Germans thought that they could easily take Verdun from France and continue on to take Paris; however, the French and the Americans were waiting for them and able to prevent the Germans from taking the city.

Learning of this took place in two forms today. The first was a memorial for the American and French soldiers that lost their lives in battle at Verdun. This memorial consists of a building (as pictured below) containing a bell tower, a chapel, and two wings of memorabilia and dedications. There was also the grave sites of all of the soldiers that could be identified (also pictured below). As for the remains that could not be identified, there are windows into the basement where they keep a pile of bones; it is truly a sight no one could ever be prepared to see.

The second place we went to in Verdun was the Verdun Memorial Museum. This museum not only covered the battle in Verdun, but also all aspects of World War 1. It was my favorite museum thus far, as it used many different mediums such as, audio sets, staggered screens, and see through floors to truly engage the visitors in what they are learning. My favorite area was below the stairs to the second level, where they had a room dedicated to the trinkets and letters that the soldiers carried with them during the war. Not only did it give humanity to an event that is typically talked about very dryly in textbooks, but it went even further to convey how the soldiers felt while facing something very few have.Once we returned to Metz, Dr. Birchfield decided to end the day on a happier note and took us to an amazing Middle Eastern restaurant that had recently opened. The food was delicious and included, grape leaves, falafel, and chicken skewers. After we finished eating, we were all invited to have peppermint tea and treats in the tented area, which shone with many bright colors (pictured below). We discussed what we had seen that day and the schedule for the rest of the week. Finally when everyone got their fill of Turkish delight and baklava, we called it a night.

Bonjour! My name is Emma Smith and I am a Masters student in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech. This summer, I am travelling with Dr. Vicki Birchfield and 18 undergraduate students on the European Union and Transatlantic Relations Study Abroad program! I participated in the program as an undergraduate in 2015, and I’m very excited to be back in Europe as a teaching assistant and graduate student.

My first day in Brussels, 2015.

We arrived in Europe a week or so ago, on Monday, May 15^th. For the first month of the program, we’ll be staying at Georgia Tech’s campus in Metz, France, called Georgia Tech Lorraine. Since we arrived, it’s been a whirlwind of activity getting to know a new campus in a new country on a new continent!

Aside from getting settled in our residence and trying not to get lost on the Metz bus system, we’ve also been learning a lot about this city and region. On Tuesday, we took a train tour of the city and saw many of the major Metz landmarks. We’ve also taken a walking tour of Metz’s beautiful cathedral and visited the Centre Pompidou Metz.

Attempting to navigate Metz public transit, 2017.

On Friday morning, we visited Fort Queuleu, a site important to the history of Franco-German rivalry. The fort was built just before the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, and changed hands along with the rest of the Moselle department several times until the end of World War II. During World War II, the Fort was used as a holding point for French Resistance fighters. We heard from our tour guide, Pascal, about the brutal treatment these prisoners experienced at the hands of the Nazis. On Friday afternoon, we learned more about the history of Alsace-Lorraine and the Franco-Prussian War at the Gravelotte Museum. These tours put the importance of the Alsace-Lorraine region to European politics into perspective. What is now peaceful French countryside near an open border into Germany was once the heart of a bitter rivalry that caused three wars within a century.

In the classroom this week, Dr. Birchfield introduced the class to the European Union as she views it and laid the foundation for what we’ll learn this summer. As I learned two years ago, Dr. Birchfield views the European Union a peace project. The idea of an ever-closer union has helped to sustain peace in a region previously plagued by power politics and bloody wars. However, not everyone sees the European Union this way.

Two years ago, Brexit seemed an unlikely and distant possibility. Since I last participated in the EU program, populist movements throughout Europe and the United States have rapidly gained ground. Resentment towards the bureaucracy of the European Union and the divide between Northern Europe and Southern Europe have only grown. While Europe faces many new challenges since the last time I was here, there are also many reasons for optimism. The European project will always face difficulties as European leaders try to navigate a changing world, so revisiting what I learned two years ago in a new context and with the knowledge I’ve gained since then will hopefully offer new insights on the fate of the European Union.

Our day began very early with our final departure from our host families. The night before I had packed all my things, had my last meal with the family, and said my goodbyes. In the morning I had breakfast with my host dad and Pedro before we were driven to Brussels Central Station. From this point we all boarded the train towards The Hague, Netherlands. I had previously been to the Netherlands, but I had never been able to travel to The Hague prior to this trip. Immediately upon our arrival we hit the ground running as we barely caught the tram to take us to our first sight visit, the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC is a permanent court that is focused on taking individuals to court who have committed serious crimes against to humanity such as genocide, war crimes and persecution. We were given an overview of the organization’s history as well as information on cases currently underway at the court. There are 23 cases presently in front of the court with 14 arrests and 13 suspects still at large. There are currently 6 persons being detained at the detention facility for court proceedings, two of whom we were able to see at a public session of their trial. Laurent Gbagbo was the former President of the Ivory Coast who abused his power and incited violence in the country after he lost the 2010 presidential election. He and his Minister of Defense, Charles Blé Goudé, were eventually captured and are now facing trial. Even though we only were able to be present for a few short moments of the trial, it was crazy to see a former head of state being tried for terrible crimes. It was a pleasant reminder that in the end, no person is above the law and cannot avoid justice forever. At one point I caught the glare of Mr. Blé Goudé and I had this pang of fear in my heart. Even though there was absolutely nothing he could to nor would he have any reason to do so, looking into the eyes of a man responsible for such terrible things really chills your soul. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the look in his anger filled eyes reminiscent of a caged animal biding its time until it could break out and take revenge on its captors. I wish this were my attempt at simple literary enhancement, but at this moment I truly felt my stomach drop and felt a genuine sense of fear.

To the drastic contrast of the previous segment, after our visit to the ICC we went by tram to the coast in order to have a meal of traditional Dutch pancakes! A savory pancake topped with meats, vegetables, and spices was followed by a sweet pancake topped with warm cherries, whipped cream, and ice cream. What better way to recover from an early morning start and a staring contest with a war criminal than delicious comfort food? I even had time to pull off my dress shoes and socks, roll up my pant legs, and go for a quick stroll down the beach to the water! After dusting myself off, we left to tour the Hall of Knights and have a quick stop in the Dutch parliament. Our tour guide gave us a brief overview of the area and the history of the Hall of Knights. This hall is famously known for the yearly address given by the Dutch King and the royal procession beforehand. Despite being renovated and restored numerous times, it still held that appearance of being old and worn in the best possible way.

This blog post is my final post for the semester! Up to this point, I’ve experienced so much and made so many connections both professional and private that I simply would not have without this program. Even though at this point there are only about two weeks left in the program, there is still so much left to see in Berlin and Krakow. I can truly say that doing this program was one of the best choices I’ve made for not only my personal enjoyment, but also my future professional career as well. Despite being an engineering major, this program has given me both the experience and the desire to broaden my horizons and to pursue other ventures in my future. Until next time Europe!