Héloïse Fayet: "To be effective, the nuclear deterrent must be credible".
The IFRI researcher looks at the concept of nuclear deterrence, the specific nature of France's deterrent, and the possibilities of sharing this protection with the rest of the European Union.
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.
Iran's non-state partners in the Middle East: proxies, really?
The Lebanese Hezbollah, the Yemeni Houthis, armed Iraqi Shiite factions and even, more singularly, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad are often presented as Iranian proxies in the Middle East. The underlying idea is that the key to influencing the actions of these groups would be to exert maximum pressure on Tehran. However, while there is evidence of Iranian material support for these non-state organisations, this does not, by its very nature, imply either total ideological alignment or a clear link of subordination. Speaking in general terms masks a reality that is likely to vary in terms of Iran's effective control over the direction of operations of the entities in question. This analysis highlights the limits of understanding the relationship between Tehran and the armed movements affiliated to it solely through the prism of the notion of proxies.
Care for female jihadists: the French specificity
A comparative study carried out in four European countries shows that France, which had the largest number of female nationals who left for the Syrian-Iraqi zone, is also the strictest in its judicial and prison treatment. Specialists, including the author of the study, analyse this particular case.
Second World War: "No battle or weapon proved decisive".
Isabelle Corbier, Chair of the Studies & Perspectives Committee of the Association des cadres et auditeurs de l'Institut des hautes études de défense nationale (AA-IHEDN), followed the strategic debate on 18 March with historian Olivier Wieviorka, who put the history of the Second World War into perspective. Here are her impressions.
Anne de Tinguy: "The Kremlin has seriously underestimated the Ukrainians' ability to resist".
For the historian and political scientist, the war in Ukraine already signals for Russia "the end of an empire and a geopolitical reorientation". In the wake of Vladimir Putin's re-election, she develops several possible scenarios for the outcome of this conflict. Interview.
"Not everything that comes out of Putin's mouth is a lie".
For historians Tetiana Zemliakova and Guillaume Lancereau, Vladimir Putin "articulates a series of Third World clichés from the Cold War era and a cast of imaginary characters" based on "the concrete state of the political, intellectual and legal world". Rhetorical analysis.
From Sun Tzu to Portal Kombat: disinformation throughout history
Weakening the enemy by bombarding them with false news is nothing new: from Antiquity to the present day, the techniques are the same, only the technology has evolved.
Claudia Major: "As long as Russia does not change its objectives, Europe must weaken it".
The researcher at SWP Berlin deciphers what is at stake in Europe's support for Ukraine and looks at the importance of the Franco-German partnership in the security of the continent.
Julien Vercueil: "The war and sanctions have cost Russia 5 % of its GDP".
Western sanctions against Russia have deprived it of "two years of economic growth", and the accelerating rise in world food prices is indeed due to Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine: economist Julien Vercueil gives his analysis at the IHEDN.
