[3] In 2016 it was constituted as a UMR and was attached to Paris 8 University Vincennes-Saint-Denis when it absorbed the former Comité d'histoire de la Seconde Guerre mondiale (CHSGM), dating back to 1951.

Its membership consists of specialist researchers into World War II and those analysing particular themes of contemporary history.

Aside from conducting direct projects into recent and current history, it serves as a hub for several national and international research networks.

Its laboratory holds a library comprising monographs, periodicals, oral and written archives, devoted to the Second world war, to decolonization and to spoken history.

[5] IHTP teams are led by CNRS researchers who include Christian Ingrao, Malika Rahal, Henry Rousso, Peter Schöttler and Nicolas Werth.