Anthology of French Military Thinkers

From the white plume of Henri IV to Napoleon triumphant at the sun of Austerlitz, the French imagination has been nourished by feats of daring from the history of the armies to build a national military culture.

The fruit of long-term work bringing together the finest specialists in military history, this anthology allows the reader to grasp its full richness and historical depth.

How can the contours of a French school of military thought be traced? In what way has France's geographical situation influenced its sensitivity to the combat environment? Has its early centralising organisation had an impact on the way conflicts are approached? Is there a more pronounced relationship to the offensive in French military thought than in that of other nations? How has the construction of a vast colonial empire pushed the French to develop counter-insurgency thinking more deeply than others?

By presenting this anthology, the work enables the reader to enrich their reflection on French strategic thought and its sedimentation over the centuries. From Brantôme to Richelieu, by way of the Chevalier de Folard or the Comte de Guibert, through to the " generals of the apocalypse " who conceived France's nuclear strategy under the Gaullist era, the selected texts are presented here in notes illuminating the historical context of their production, putting the work of each author back into perspective.

Under the direction of Walter Bruyère-Ostells, Hervé Drévillon and Jean-Christophe Romer. With the collaboration of Nicolas Chemizard and Gilles Ferragu.