Since 2022, every month from September to June, IHEDN has been organising Strategic Debates, a high point in the Institute's thinking. Dedicated to a recently published work in the field of defence and security, these conferences provide an opportunity for the author to highlight the main contributions of his or her work and thus enrich the debate on current international affairs. These meetings bring together specialists from a variety of backgrounds - military personnel, experts, academics, etc. - offering a range of viewpoints on developments in the strategic context.
These debates are at the heart of the IHEDN's mission, which is to promote a defence culture, strengthen national cohesion and develop strategic thinking on contemporary defence and security issues.
A look back at the debates organised during 2024-2025.
Preparing for war: strategy, innovation and military power in contemporary times (Olivier Schmitt)
During his lecture on the book Preparing for war: strategy, innovation and military power in contemporary times (PUF, 2024), Olivier Schmitt, Professor of Political Science at the Centre for War Studies at the University of Southern Denmark, set out to deconstruct the image of armies frozen in their traditions. On the contrary, he showed that armed forces are constantly adapting, forced to evolve in the face of technological change, the guidelines laid down by the political authorities and changes in the security environment. The author emphasised the need for the armed forces to constantly strike a balance between internal stability, which is necessary for their cohesion, and their capacity for innovation, which is essential if they are to remain effective in the face of contemporary threats. Olivier Schmitt has analysed the political, organisational and strategic factors that determine this adaptation, providing useful insights for citizens, decision-makers and researchers wishing to gain a better understanding of the current issues of military power and innovation.
Democracy and deterrence (Mélanie Rosselet)
At the Strategic Debate presenting the collective work Democracy and Deterrence (Odile Jacob, 2024), Mélanie Rosselet, diplomat and associate expert at the Centre interdisciplinaire sur les enjeux stratégiques (CIENS) at the École normale supérieure, explored the tensions between democratic principles and the use of nuclear deterrence in a context of growing strategic threats. The book's editor stressed the need to open an informed democratic debate on this issue, by examining the legitimacy, rationality and ethical issues raised by this type of weaponry. In particular, the book examines the compatibility between deterrence and democracy, the challenges posed to public debate by this issue, and the way in which democratic regimes can or cannot continue to justify this strategic choice.
The geopolitics of American power (Laurence Nardon)
During the Strategic Debate devoted to the presentation of his book Geopolitics of American power (PUF, 2024), Laurence Nardon, a political science researcher and head of the United States programme at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), analysed the new challenges facing the United States in the 21st century.e century. The author looked at the rise of China, Islamist terrorism and the return of an aggressive Russia. She also highlighted the levers that enable Washington to maintain a dominant position, namely its economic power, but also its technological and military power, and its capacity to influence through the soft power or international law. The speaker highlighted the country's internal fragilities, but also the resilience of its instruments of power. In her view, the future of the United States' global role will depend on the direction taken by the American political elite when faced with decisive foreign policy choices. Finally, she pointed out that Europeans, with no real capacity to influence these decisions, will have to define their own strategic trajectory.
War in the age of artificial intelligence: When machines take up arms (Laure de Roucy-Rochegonde)
At a conference devoted to his book War in the age of artificial intelligence: when machines take up arms (PUF, 2024), Laure de Roucy-Rochegonde, Director of IFRI's Centre géopolitique des technologies, presented the profound changes brought about by the rise of artificial intelligence and robotics in the military field. She looked in particular at the emergence of autonomous weapons systems, known as "killer robots", and the ethical, legal and strategic issues they raise. Her talk questioned the real capacity to control these technologies, their impact on combatants and adversaries, and the transformations they are bringing about in the balance of power, international relations and the relationship between the State and its citizens. The speaker also questioned the compatibility of these systems with the laws of war.
Confrontation at sea. The future of naval strategy (Nicolas Mazzuchi)
At the presentation of his book Confrontation at sea. The future of naval strategy (Editions du Rocher, 2024), Nicolas Mazzucchi, geographer and head of the Naval Strategy & Wargaming unit at the French Navy's Centre for Strategic Studies, analysed the return of maritime spaces as theatres of tension between world powers. He highlighted the fact that recent crises show that the seas, long perceived as relatively sanctuarised spaces, are once again becoming major areas of conflict. The author backed up his argument with examples of attacks on ships by the Houthis in the Red Sea, the rise in power of the Chinese Navy and the activity of Russian submarines in the vicinity of Europe. He also highlighted the vulnerability of the world's economies to disruption of maritime routes, whether for the transport of goods or the security of submarine cables. By combining the doctrinal developments of the last thirty years with the contributions of new technologies, Mazzucchi has proposed a new reading of conflict at sea during this strategic debate and in his book.
Words, weapons of a new war? Ukraine-Russia, the war of narratives in the 21st century (Amélie Férey)
Presenting his book Words, weapons of a new war? Ukraine-Russia, the war of narratives in the 21st centurye century (Le Robert, 2024), Amélie Férey, a researcher at the Centre for Security Studies and head of IFRI's Defence Research Laboratory, has highlighted the central role of language and information in contemporary conflicts. The author highlighted the way in which armies, governments and non-state actors invest the war of narratives to shape perceptions, influence public opinion and legitimise their actions. In a context saturated with images and messages disseminated on social networks, where disinformation blurs reference points, communication is becoming a field of operations in its own right. Using examples drawn from the war in Ukraine, Amélie Férey put into perspective the power of words as instruments of war in the 21st century.e century.
Towards the ecology of war: An environmental history of peace (Pierre Charbonnier)
Presenting his book Vers the ecology of war - An environmental history of peace(La Découverte, 2024), Pierre Charbonnier, philosopher and CNRS research fellow at the Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics at Sciences Po, has proposed an original re-reading of the relationship between peace, development and the environment. Contrary to popular belief, he argues that modern peace was largely built on the intensive exploitation of nature, particularly through the fossil fuel infrastructures developed after 1945, in a context where growth, security and geopolitical stability went hand in hand. The author shows that this model, driven by a techno-scientific and pacifist discourse aimed at neutralising the causes of war by combating resource scarcity and developing a universal language based on science, technology and development, is now reaching its limits in the face of ecological constraints. In this context, he explores the idea of an 'ecology of war', an approach in which resource management, environmental sustainability and international security can no longer be dissociated.
Franco-German military cooperation and European defence (Delphine Deschaux-Dutard)
On the occasion of the presentation of his book French-German Military Cooperation and European Defence - From Driving Engine to Divergence of Interests? (Routledge, 2025), Delphine Deschaux-Dutard, senior lecturer in political science at the University of Grenoble-Alpes, has proposed an analysis of Franco-German military cooperation and its role in the construction of European defence. Based on more than twenty years of field research in Paris, Berlin and Brussels, and enriched by recent data, her study highlights the tensions and divergent interests that hamper the effectiveness of this tandem, historically presented as the driving force behind European defence. The author has shown that, despite shared ambitions, bilateral cooperation between France and Germany remains fragile and often confronted by opposing visions of security. Against a backdrop marked by the return of conventional warfare to Europe, her speech provided a better understanding of the limits of Franco-German leadership and the challenges to be met in order to strengthen a credible and coherent European defence.
General Beaufre. Father of French strategy (General Hervé Pierre)
At the Strategic Debate dedicated to his book General Beaufre. Father of French strategy (Perrin, 2025), Major General Hervé Pierre, Commander of the General Officers' Corps, revisited the strategic legacy of André Beaufre and its relevance to contemporary conflicts. Through a rigorous biography, he retraced the major stages in the strategist's career, highlighting the richness and relevance of Beaufre's thinking. General Pierre placed particular emphasis on the concept of "total strategy", developed by General Beaufre and now revived in military discourse as the "global approach". He emphasised the lasting influence of this major thinker, whose writings, in particular Introduction to strategyThese ideas continue to inform military doctrine on an international scale. General Pierre's speech gave pride of place to a key figure in French strategic thinking in the 20th century.e century.
- The Strategic Debates return in autumn 2025. Stay tuned !
