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.
France's "still special" position in NATO

Isabelle Corbier, President 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 10 June 2024 on "France and NATO since 1989".
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.
RT, Russian propaganda channel with an elastic line

Maxime Audinet, a researcher at the Strategic Research Institute at the École Militaire, was the guest speaker at the latest IHEDN strategic debate. Using the example of the state-run news channel RT, he deciphers the mechanisms of Russia's international influence strategy.
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.