Nicolas Roche: "Our country will always prefer a peaceful solution to armed force".
In an interview with IHEDN, Nicolas Roche, Secretary General of the French Ministry of Defence and National Security (SGDSN), details the process for updating the National Strategic Review, published on 14 July.
France's space power: assets to become a driving force once again
In a detailed report published this summer, the Institut Montaigne takes stock of the weaknesses and "exceptional expertise" of France and Europe in this area, and makes recommendations for "restoring a truly strategic ambition for space". Interview with its authors, Arthur Sauzay and Raphaël Tavanti.
General Manuel Alvarez: "To thank France, I wanted to join the army as soon as possible".
Manuel Alvarez joined the French Air Force as a private 2nd class at the age of 15, and has just left with 5 stars on his epaulettes. We take a look back at the inspiring career of this Spanish-born man, who reached the highest level thanks to the Republic's school system, military training and what he calls the "social staircase".
Ink and weapons: 4000 years of war literature
The final instalment in our summer series on the theme of "Culture and Defence": a long-standing marriage between these two fields, literature offers an introspective immersion into the daily lives of soldiers and the violence of battle. Here is a selection of masterpieces from across the ages.
Cinema and defence, two intertwined worlds
This is the third episode in our summer series on "Culture and Defence". Initially a tool of communication and propaganda, war films have evolved over the course of history and conflicts. It has moved from heroic exaltation to denunciation of violence, from the memory of conflict to the exploration of soldiers' daily lives.
When music sounds the marching orders: the army, the nation and its harmonies
The second instalment in our summer series on "Culture and Defence": military music began as a means of tactical communication on the battlefield, but has evolved to go beyond this function alone. Today it is a universal language that speaks to both collective memory and individual emotions, and a powerful vehicle for national cohesion.
Comic strips: the perfect medium for military stories
The first episode of our summer series "Athena on the beach" 2025 on the theme of "Culture and defence": for over a century, comic books and bubbles have gone hand in hand with battlefields and heroism. A look back at the history of a rapidly expanding cultural sector with Arnauld Chéreil de la Rivière, a general officer with a passion for the genre.
Committee work, IHEDN's contribution to the national strategy
A cornerstone of the Institute's educational approach, this analysis and forward-looking work by auditors on targeted issues results in reports submitted to the authorities, who can take up the recommendations. Here are five examples from the last national session.
NATO Summit: "Ensuring that the family photo remains smiling".
The 32 member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation meet on Tuesday and Wednesday in The Hague (Netherlands). Guillaume Lasconjarias, Director of Studies and Research at the IHEDN and former researcher at the NATO Defence College, explains what is at stake at this highly anticipated meeting.
Digital sovereignty: the other front for the French armed forces
Defence cloud, artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain... These innovations are redefining the way in which the armed forces operate. France is therefore firmly committed to the digital transformation of its defence system, in order to preserve and assert its technological and operational sovereignty. Here's how.
