French Defence Policy Since the End of the Cold War

This book explores the evolution of French defense policy since the end of the Cold War, analyzing the factors that have influenced policy changes and military transformation. It provides an in-depth analysis of the incentives, representations, and objectives of French defense policy, and examines the processes of strategy-making by a middle power. The book also raises questions about the ways states adjust their security policies in a transformed international system and makes French-language sources available to non-French-speaking readers.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 172 pages
Publication date: 31 May 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Since the end of the Cold War, French defense policy has undergone a significant transformation. Over the past thirty years, a multitude of contextual evolutions have shaped these changes, including shifts in the global balance of power, new understandings of international security, economic downturns, and advancements in European integration. Despite these fluctuations, the purpose of France's grand strategy and its core principles have remained remarkably stable. This book aims to shed light on the incentives, representations, and objectives of French defense policy. The authors explore the general mechanisms that influence policy change and military transformation in democracies, the significance of status-seeking in international relations, the processes of strategy-making by a middle power, and the dilemmas and challenges of security cooperation. By examining these aspects, the book raises a series of thought-provoking questions about how states adapt (or fail to adapt) their security policies in a transformed international system.

This book offers valuable insights to students of defense studies, French politics, military studies, security studies, and International Relations (IR) in general. It provides access to French-language sources and contributes to a deeper understanding of a country that plays a pivotal role in Europe's external actions.

Weight: 284g
Dimension: 155 x 234 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367682996