Christopher Seton-Watson

Christopher Seton-Watson (London, England, August 6, 1918 – London, England, September 8, 2007) was a distinguished British soldier and historian specializing in political science and Italian history. He taught at Oxford University, and was the founder of the Association for the Study of Modern Italy.

Seton-Watson was one of the two sons of Robert William Seton-Watson, the activist and historian. He was educated at Winchester College and New College, Oxford. As a visiting student at Princeton, he regularly shared a taxi with Albert Einstein.

During the Second World War Seton-Watson served in the Royal Artillery. He saw action during the Battle of France and was evacuated at Dunkirk. He then took part in the Greek campaign, the North African Campaign (including the Battles of El Alamein) and the Italian Campaign. He was promoted to the rank of major, and awarded the Military Cross with bar. He wrote about these experiences in Dunkirk-Alamein-Bologna: Letters and Diaries of an Artilleryman 1939-1945.