"Athena at the beach": the IHEDN holiday notebook

The goddess of military strategy, war and wisdom in Greek mythology, Athena is also... the mascot of the IHEDN. In summer, she takes us on an exploration of the culture of defence through a range of erudite and entertaining content.

Athena has decided to leave her wise and pensive pose on the IHEDN logo and head for the beach, where she can relax and explore a variety of strategic themes.

Over a period of several weeks, our website and social media accounts will feature stories, quizzes, games and reading tips to help holidaymakers with a thirst for strategic knowledge explore defence culture in the broadest sense.

Ladies and gentlemen, please get in your car!

90TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EPISODE: The Pen and the Shield – A journey through the archives

To mark the Institute’s 90th anniversary in style, Athéna has a late-summer surprise in store for you: a second summer series! She has enthusiastically delved into the IHEDN archives, exploring everything from the pioneering speeches of 1936 to the global challenges of 1977. Through the words of leading statesmen and intellectuals, she has shown how these lessons from the past offer valuable insight into understanding current affairs.

Throughout this four-part series, she has invited you to explore the foundations of defence policy and geopolitics… bringing together, for the occasion, some of the most significant historical speeches that are well worth (re)discovering before the start of the new academic year.

Summer 2026: Athena’s Tour de France

Now in its fourth year, «Athéna à la plage» is reinventing itself and offering you a brand-new experience: a strategic Tour de France with Athéna. From Barcelona to the legendary Cour d’honneur at the École militaire, the IHEDN will be guiding you on a new summer adventure.

Through 21 key stages, this interactive journey allows us to revisit the fundamentals of our defence through the lens of our territories. Combining weekly quizzes, strategic analysis and military geography, this engaging feature explores the contemporary challenges to our sovereignty, whilst paying tribute to the illustrious figures who have shaped the nation’s history and unity.

A summer designed to combine relaxation and reflection, so that our shared heritage can resonate with the challenges of tomorrow.

summer 2025: the relationship between culture and defence

This summer, our holiday magazine took us on a journey to the crossroads of culture and defence. From literature and film to music and comic strips, it explored the ways in which cultural works represent, question and support the work of the armed forces. It's a fun and rewarding way to rediscover the deep-rooted links between culture and defence, in the service of strategic thinking.

summer 2024: a year of remembrance and transmission

To mark the 80^e anniversary of the Liberation, Athéna left its summer beach behind to delve into the decisive moments of 1944 to understand their resonance in 2024.

In collaboration with the Charles-de-Gaulle Foundation, the IHEDN devoted the summer of 2024 to revisiting the major events that took place 80 years earlier. These historic milestones marked the key battles of the war, the key figures, the return of the Republic, the affirmation of national sovereignty and the building of the country's cohesion.

This dossier also provides an opportunity to revisit some of the "fundamentals" of our defence, born out of combat, and to pay tribute to all those who have been involved in promoting the spirit of defence.

summer 2023: the four concentric circles of national defence

This summer, our mascot has decided to take you on a journey of discovery through the four circles of defence, the concentric circles that make up the perimeter of national defence. From territorial protection to international issues, Athena has explored how the missions entrusted to the IHEDN fit together and what nurtures the spirit of defence. An opportunity to shed light, week after week, on the different dimensions that enable France to ensure its security and prepare for the future.

To start with, this week Athena will be testing your knowledge of herself, her attributes and functions, but also of the national defence perimeter and the concepts it encompasses. Our first reading tip is a fascinating historical novel.