True to its mission of promoting a defence culture, helping to strengthen national cohesion and contributing to the development of strategic thinking on defence and security issues, this year the IHEDN is highlighting major events in these areas that took place 80 years ago. Indeed, 1944 laid the foundations for most of these issues as we see them today.
To look back at this seminal period and reflect on its lessons for today, and to commemorate these events as thoroughly as possible, the IHEDN has joined forces with the Charles-de-Gaulle Foundation, which since 1970 has been working on the political and intellectual work of the liberator of France. We have named this joint operation "Esprit 44".
The fact is that this soldier turned statesman has a very strong link with our Institute. In April 1931, Battalion Chief de Gaulle wrote a memo to his superiors that has remained the first forerunner of the CHEDN, which was founded in 1936 and became the IHEDN after the war.
In this note, De Gaulle raised the need to train officers and civilians side by side in strategic culture. Initially an armour theorist and specialist in political and military affairs, Charles de Gaulle devoted considerable attention throughout his career to education and training in the field of defence. This is a commitment that the IHEDN has embraced since its creation, its main mission being to "promote the spirit of national defence".
A PIVOTAL YEAR FOR FRANCE AND FOR CHARLES DE GAULLE
On 3 November 1959, having become President of the Republic, General de Gaulle inaugurated a long series of visits to the Institute (continued almost every year of his term of office, in 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1969), a series that once again demonstrated his commitment to these issues.
On the occasion of the commemorations of 1944, a pivotal year both for France and for Charles de Gaulle himself, the aim of this collaboration is to recall the strong link between the IHEDN and the officer who became a statesman. Our intention is also to revisit some of the 'fundamentals' of our defence, born in combat, and to pay tribute to all those who have been involved in promoting the spirit of defence, which is particularly necessary in these troubled times.
Until the end of August, on our website and on the various social networks of our two institutions, "Esprit 44" will explore the different events and people who marked 1944: the Resistance, the landings, various battles, General de Gaulle's travels abroad, government decisions... So many pieces of a unique jigsaw puzzle: the one that enabled France to rediscover its internal institutions, its national cohesion and its place on the world stage.
