"When we look at the four components that make up the atmosphere of war, we see that: danger, physical effort, uncertainty and chance, it is easy to understand that it takes great moral and physical strength to move forward with any guarantee of success in this disconcerting element.¹ »

Wemight consider that, by dint of having been exploited, the vein of moral strength has been exhausted and that since Ardant du Picq and Clausewitz - whose reading is always recommended - much has been written on the subject. Yet, even if the deep nature of man remains, even if the main characteristics of war remain the same, it makes sense to put the work back on the job regularly, if only to ensure that current societal expectations or the contingencies of the wars of the moment do not alter the perception we have of the subject.

Fire remains at the heart of current events and always causes astonishment in the face of its outburst. The millions of hectares burned in Australia in 2020 or the fire at Notre Dame de Paris in 2019 are the latest examples of catastrophic fires. Confronted with this timeless enemy, the fire soldier is constantly evolving his procedures through innovation and hardening. The fight against fire is indeed a real battle, with its codes, means and tactics.

In the summer of 1793, back in France after an unfortunate expedition to Sardinia1, Bonaparte found himself near Carteaux, which was besieging Toulon then occupied by^the English. The two men already knew each other because Bonaparte had helped Carteaux take Avignon from the counter-revolutionaries some time before. Carteaux did not particularly appreciate the man he ironically called the "captain canon" but nevertheless invited him to witness the fire of the English fleet which was to be carried out by the artillery under the command of Dammartin. Let Marmont tell the rest: "Bonaparte, as a man of the trade, knew what to expect on arrival and announced that the cannonballs would not go into the sea (...) four cannon shots were enough to make it clear how much the fire had been caused by the cannon.The preparations made were ridiculous; Ollioules was given a low ear and it was believed with good reason that it was best to hold Captain Bonaparte and report to him.² »

In an attempt to understand the reasons for the erratic evolution of regimental joint structures, the case of equipping infantry battalions with light pieces is exemplary.

To defeat an enemy, you must accept confrontation on all terrains. Immaterial actions weaken minds (psychic warfare), neutralize command systems (war in the electromagnetic spectrum) or blind them. But in any case, the opposing soldier must put down his weapons. He will therefore have to be physically restrained; this remains the priority of military action.

The theme of reappropriating war in the face of a major enemy is very present in military thinking. Armies have a great deal of recent experience in peacekeeping, counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations, but they no longer have practical experience "of" war.a sustained confrontation between masses of aggressive manoeuvres contesting each other to the depths and in different environments all the fields of conflict (physical and immaterial) and whose objective is to defeat the power of the adversary" 1.

The parallels between rugby and combat engagement have been the subject of numerous writings1 ,^emphasising the tactical parallels, the moral forces, necessary in both rugby and combat, and the common principles. All these points are perfectly relevant. Rugby is obviously a sport very close to "tactics" as understood in the army: conquering and mastering the field, specialisation of dedicated "operational functions", articulation, staggering, etc. The principles of warfare defined in France find full expression there.

General Jean Delmas1 very early on hypothesized that the tactical doctrines had been developed chronologically in three successive stages: they first theorized the association of shock and movement, then the introduction of fire, in general, in the maneuver. Third stage: the consideration of nuclear fire. Nothing has really changed since then, even if some believe that immaterial fields have revolutionized tactics, creating a fourth stage.

On 6 February 2020, the École militaire hosted the annual Military Thought Symposium on the theme "Faced with High Intensity, What Tactical Leader for Tomorrow? ». As with previous editions, this symposium is part of the movement to renew military thought within the Army, as advocated by the CLS, instigated by the Centre de doctrine et d'enseignement du commandement (CDEC) and its director, Major General Michel Delion.

Dince the end of the Seven Years' War (1763) until the end of the Seven Years' War (1763).’to the’the outbreak of the Revolution, we are witnessing, particularly in France, an extraordinary bubbling of energy. d’ideas, favored by twenty-nine years of peace, if the’except for the’American episode. At during this period known as "theof the Enlightenment, while military personnel reflect... on the’art of warfare, mathematicians, astronomers, physicists......find out, invent and build new science.

The revolutionaries of 1789 were not long in coming.’acThe aim is to capture this profusion of "skills" which includes a wide range of skills.’countless inventors, thinkers and creators. These are put at the service of’a political power, looking for’améliorations of’a military tool that should make it possible to’ensure the’the foundation of the young Republic before thewhich stands the’All of Europe[1]. That "this"... call to scholars "is formalised at the first meeting.nion of the Committee of Public Salvation on April 9, 1793.

In fact, during the said meeting, a "Committee of Public Salvation" was created. commission of "chemists and mechanics"intended to seek and experience new means intended for the defence of the Nation: c’is the first scientific and technical commissioncrux of the matter[2].