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Peter McPhee

Emeritus professor, University of Melbourne

Emeritus Professor Peter McPhee teaches and writes about the history of modern France at the University of Melbourne.

Professor McPhee was educated at Colac High School, Caulfield Grammar School, and the University of Melbourne, where he completed a BA (Hons 1st Class), Dip.Ed., MA (Hons 1st Class) and PhD. He taught at La Trobe University 1975-79 and the Victoria University of Wellington 1980-86 before returning to the University of Melbourne, where he has held a Personal Chair in History since 1993.

He has published widely on the history of modern France, notably A Social History of France 1789-1914 (London, 2002), Revolution and Environment in Southern France, 1780-1830 (Oxford, 1999), and Living The French Revolution 1789-1799 (Basingstoke, 2006). In 1999 he also published a biography of the former Chancellor Roy Douglas ('Pansy') Wright. His most recent books are Robespierre: a Revolutionary Life (2012) and (ed), A Companion to the French Revolution (2013).

Professor McPhee was Deputy Dean and Acting Dean of the School of Graduate Studies in 1994-96, then Head of the Department of History in 1996-99. He was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities in 1997. In the same year he became an inaugural 'Universitas 21' Teaching Fellow. In 2003 he was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. He was an Officer of the Academic Board 1999-2003 and its President in 2002-03. He became Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) in 2003 before being apointed the University's first Provost in 2007. He retired in 2009, but remains an active researcher and teacher. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2012.

Global Geopolitics Series

We live in a world of upheaval. So why aren't today's protests leading to revolutions?

Nov 24, 2019 22:15 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

We live in a world of violent challenges to the status quo, from Chile and Iraq to Hong Kong, Catalonia and the Extinction Rebellion. These protests are usually presented in the media simply as expressions of rage at the...

video What is it about Versailles?

Dec 09, 2016 03:55 am UTC| Life

When the triumphant Donald Trump welcomed Nigel Farage to his $100 million penthouse apartment in Trump Tower on 13 November, the two posed in his lift of gleaming gold. Trumps hyper-bling apartment is his Versailles...

Economy

European EV Sales Surge in April 2026 as Tesla and Chinese Automakers Gain Ground

European car sales recorded strong growth in April 2026, driven by rising demand for electric and hybrid vehicles across the region. According to the latest data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers...

European Stocks Rise as AI Optimism Offsets U.S.-Iran Tensions

European stock markets opened higher on Wednesday as investors balanced ongoing uncertainty surrounding U.S.-Iran peace negotiations with growing optimism over artificial intelligence-driven market momentum. The positive...

UK Grocery Inflation Slows to 3.1% as Supermarket Price Pressures Ease in May 2026

UK grocery inflation slowed to 3.1% in the four weeks ending May 17, 2026, marking the lowest increase in supermarket prices since December 2024, according to new data released by Worldpanel by Numerator. The latest report...

Nikkei Hits Record High as AI Chip Stocks Power Japan Market Rally

Japans Nikkei share average surged to a fresh record high on Wednesday, driven by strong gains in chip-related stocks as investor enthusiasm around artificial intelligence continued to fuel global technology markets. The...

RBNZ Holds Interest Rates Steady but Signals More Hikes Ahead in 2026

New Zealands central bank kept interest rates unchanged on Wednesday but warned that further monetary tightening may be necessary later this year as rising global tensions increase inflation risks and slow economic...

Politics

Baltic Drone Incursions Raise NATO Security Concerns Amid Russia-Ukraine Tensions

Recent Ukrainian drone incursions into Baltic airspace have heightened security concerns across Eastern Europe, increasing tensions between NATO members and Russia. The incidents come as Ukraine intensifies long-range...

Trump Administration Weighs Halting International Flights at Sanctuary City Airports

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the Trump administration is considering plans to suspend customs and immigration processing for international travelers and cargo flights arriving at airports located...

Israel Says It Killed New Hamas Military Chief in Gaza Strike

Israel announced on Wednesday that it had killed Mohammad Odeh, the newly appointed head of Hamass armed wing in Gaza, as military operations intensified across Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank. The Israeli military said...

Biden Sues DOJ to Block Release of Audio From Classified Documents Probe

Former U.S. President Joe Biden has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice (DOJ) in an effort to stop the release of audio recordings and transcripts tied to Special Counsel Robert Hurs investigation into Bidens...

US Plans Kenya Ebola Quarantine Facility Amid Congo Outbreak

The Trump administration is preparing to deploy U.S. public health officers to Kenya as part of a proposed Ebola quarantine facility designed to support Americans exposed to the deadly virus during the ongoing outbreak in...

Science

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

Technology

Xiaomi Shares Drop After Weak Q1 Earnings Amid Rising Smartphone Costs

Xiaomi Corp (HK:1810) shares declined on Wednesday after the Chinese tech giant reported weaker-than-expected first-quarter earnings, pressured by rising component costs and intense competition in the smartphone market....

Samsung to Invest $1.5 Billion in Vietnam Semiconductor Testing Plant by 2027

Samsung Electronics is expanding its semiconductor operations in Southeast Asia with plans to invest nearly 39 trillion Vietnamese dong, or about $1.5 billion, in a new semiconductor testing facility in Vietnam. According...

Samsung Workers Approve Wage Deal, Avoiding Major Strike and Boosting Chip Supply Confidence

Samsung Electronics workers have approved a new wage agreement, preventing a large-scale strike that could have disrupted global semiconductor supplies and impacted South Koreas economy. The deal was supported by nearly...

Elon Musk Explores Possible Tesla-SpaceX Merger Amid Growing AI Investments

Elon Musk has reportedly discussed the possibility of combining Tesla and SpaceX, according to a CNBC report released Tuesday. The potential merger has become a major topic of discussion within both companies as they...

SK Hynix Joins $1 Trillion Club as AI Chip Demand Fuels Stock Surge

SK Hynix Inc. became the second South Korean company to surpass a $1 trillion market valuation on Wednesday, as booming artificial intelligence demand continued to drive investor confidence in global semiconductor stocks....