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Communication Dans Un Congrès Année : 2023

Renewing Strategic Thought in France after the Wars of Decolonization

Résumé

In a period of deep transformation, how can we ensure the renewal of strategic thought ? Are the military best qualified to develop this type of reflection? How can we make sure that the Navy's views are taken into account? This was a burning issue for France in the years following the end of the wats of decolonization. As France was about to go nuclear and to give the Navy a role that it had never played in the recent past, there was a sort of vacuum in strategic thought, which was barely being renewed. In order to make the armed forces evolve and become more innovative, General de Gaulle's Minister of the Armed Forces, Pierre Messmer, decided to create a ministerial think tank (Centre de Prospective et d'Évaluations), bringing together civilians with very diverse backgrounds and military personnel from the three services. Although it was initially designed to provide independent and creative prospective thinking, this center quickly turned into a forum for strategic thought that laid the foundations for French deterrence. Its independence of thought and its ability to grasp good practices from France’s allies sparked a number of contrasted reactions in the armed forces, with the Navy being particularly receptive to the center's proposals, while a majority of officers within the three services did not approve the new guidelines.

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Histoire
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Dates et versions

hal-04223047 , version 1 (29-09-2023)

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  • HAL Id : hal-04223047 , version 1

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Jean-Marie Kowalski. Renewing Strategic Thought in France after the Wars of Decolonization. Mc Mullen Naval History Symposium, Sep 2023, Annapolis (Maryland), United States. ⟨hal-04223047⟩
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