Lieutenant-General Sir John Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga in October 1777 marked Britain’s first major defeat in the American War of Independence. Its consequences were far-reaching, helping persuade the French to enter the war on the American side.

Join historians Dr Kevin Weddle and Andrew Robertshaw as they examine the conflict from all sides, considering contemporary opinions and how attitudes have changed over time.

This event is being held as part of a collaboration between the National Army Museum and the US Army Heritage and Education Center.

Kevin Weddle is Professor of Military Theory and Strategy and Elihu Root Chair of Military Studies at the US Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. He served in the US Army for over 28 years as a combat engineer officer, retiring as a colonel. He achieved a PhD in History from Princeton University. His account of the Saratoga campaign, ‘The Compleat Victory: Saratoga and the American Revolution’, was published by the Oxford University Press in 2021.

Andrew Robertshaw is a freelance military historian, author and broadcaster. He has previously worked as a museum director for the Ministry of Defence and as a lecturer for British infantry soldiers at Catterick. He now leads battlefield tours and lectures at Staff College for the Norwegian and Canadian armed forces. He has also worked as a historical consultant on films such as ‘War Horse’ and ‘1917’.

The US Army Heritage and Education Center engages, inspires, and informs the Army, the American people, and global partners with a unique and enduring source of knowledge and thought. The Center is an integral part of the War College and maintains the knowledge repositories that support scholarship and research about the US Army and its operating environment. To learn more visit https://ahec.armywarcollege.edu/

The Battle of Saratoga