Our soldiers are now fighting with very sophisticated equipment, using the latest technological advances. Their new protections and the significant increase in engagement distances are a clear indication of this. These improvements in capabilities could lead one to believe that waging war is now within everyone's reach and no longer requires special qualities; it is not! Warfighting is more topical than ever, in all its dimensions, including psychological.

Despite the removal of the dictator Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq in 2003, democracy is struggling to establish itself in this part of the Middle East, which is in considerable economic, political and social disarray. The author wishes to present the endogenous reasons for this situation, in particular the ethnic and religious factors that are particularly prevalent in Iraqi society.

Robots coupled with artificial intelligence (autonomous machines) could represent the next strategic breakthrough in the military field because their symbiosis would allow the machine to decide autonomously on a battlefield deserted by man.

Battalion Commander Stéphane Simon considers that, even stronger than its fighters and territorial conquests, the communication of the terrorist organisation known as the Islamic State, over and above that ofAl Qaeda, which it has outdated, aims to impose globally a perfectly established state project with no more and no less than the objective of "changing and saving the world".

In a dynamic of general infovalorization of our society and our armies, battalion commander Franck Duchemin, commander Jérôme Cheyppe and captain Jean-François Caverne show what place and dimensions to give to the systems of the armed forces.What place and dimensions should be given to current and future information systems in our military structure with its own specificities, taking care that they remain an advantage and not a constraint for the operational effectiveness of our land forces?

Two white papers in five years, and then a new transformation of the Army that goes "Contact!". This acceleration of change may, if we are not careful, lead us to believe that it breaks with a long period of stability; on the contrary, the evolution of theOn the contrary, the evolution of the Army is an ancient process, witnessing "that there is nothing constant, except change" [1], and that if we don't adapt, we are quickly overwhelmed. A look at the last forty-five years illustrates this.

The author presents here the modalities of the competitive entrance examination to the Ecole Supérieure de Guerre in the 1930s, as well as the course of study and its various internships. Far from being obsolete, this article allows us, on the contrary, to notice some invariants, still valid today, in the training and in the general aptitudes acquired by the commissioned officer during this teaching. The example taken by Lieutenant-Colonel Petitjean, that of the engineer, is only indicative, since officers from other services followed a course of study that was comparable in all respects.

heritage, history and genesis of a "museum" heritage

After having specified the genesis and the filiation of the collections of the Museum of the Army and the weapons museums, the Chief of Battalion Aude Piernas dethe choices made in terms of organisation and rationalisation, the necessary training of curators, and outlines a possible direction for meeting the museum challenge of the 21st century.

Between economic crisis, international terrorism and identity issues:a regional integration that struggles to overcome political postures.

Central Asian states face constraints in terms of economic sovereignty that hamper cross-border cooperation mechanisms. Moreover, these states, faced with security risks generated by the violent demands of political Islam, are struggling to implement development strategies that reconcile national sovereignty and regional integration.

...the mutation of a motley, inexperienced corps into an elite troop...

In the previous issue of the Cahiers, Mr. Laurent Gruaz told us the first part of a little-known story, that of these Franco-Belgian volunteers who became Pontifical Zouaves, having initially served under the Pope's banner. He now describes the transformation of this corps into volunteers from the West, fighting in 1870 under the arms of France. Faith in an ideal, esprit de corps, and the training power of the leaders are the key words of this true and original saga.