Athéna's readings for July
This summer, we're turning our strategic intelligence into reading advice! The war on sport, France's role on the international stage, the Russian-Ukrainian war, the Indopacific... Here are Athena's literary recommendations for July. Read with your feet in the water!
A time for battles: fighting on all fronts
This is the second episode in our "Esprit 44" series in partnership with the Charles-de-Gaulle Foundation. This time we explore the involvement of Free French troops in various theatres of operation. This was a crucial stage in the legitimisation of Free France in the eyes of the French and the Allies.
Denuclearisation of Ukraine in the 1990s: "A crisis that went completely unnoticed".
Hugues Pernet, the first diplomat to represent France in Ukraine at the time of the collapse of the USSR, looks back at the delicate negotiations conducted to prevent the new state, which was home to thousands of Soviet weapons, from becoming a nuclear power. Interview.
75 years of NATO: the French who made a difference
Although no "Frenchie" has ever headed the Alliance, several have left their mark on its operation and culture over the last three quarters of a century, and still do today. Here's a look back.
Resistance: the army of shadows catches the light
The first episode of our "Esprit 44" series in partnership with the Charles-de-Gaulle Foundation. Let's explore the Resistance, through two little-known figures, Jacques Bingen and Élisabeth de Miribel, as well as an epic and tragic episode: the Vercors maquis.
Estonia: a digital giant
During a mission by the Digital Sovereignty and Cybersecurity major at the IHEDN national session, we take a closer look at the smallest of the Baltic States, which has become a global player in the digital field, particularly in cyber defence.
"Esprit 44": what national defence owes to 1944
Throughout the summer, in partnership with the Charles-de-Gaulle Foundation, the IHEDN is exploring various events that took place 80 years ago and were crucial to the return of the Republic, the country's sovereignty and its national cohesion.
SatCen, the European crossroads for geospatial intelligence
Based in Madrid, this little-known institution is the European Union's eye in the sky. Visiting Paris last week, its director, Romanian Sorin Ducaru, explains how it works and what is at stake. Interview.
European defence policy: a work in progress
The European Union's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), active since 2007, is the culmination of a much earlier process. It is inextricably linked to NATO, but is now faced with the challenge of creating a European defence industry.
Nuclear deterrence: eight decades of balance
Since its only two military uses in 1945, nuclear weapons have been used without being used: they are a major deterrent. In the almost 80 years of its existence, there has never been a conflict between two countries possessing nuclear weapons.
