On (New) War
Are the new dynamics of power assertion, the redistribution of influence, and the emergence of new technologies changing both the place of war in the everyday life of our societies and the way war is waged when it occurs? Does the obsession with conflict, combined with technical efficiency, impose upon us a state of permanent latent war? And when weapons speak, does the involvement of modern technologies and the companies that produce them revolutionize both the political decision-making process and the way people are engaged in war? These are fundamental questions raised by the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and they are already shaping current thinking on military strategy and organization.
In the Middle East, the combination of strategic adventurism, ignorance or contempt for the adversary, and fascination with technology leads to political failure and upends the status quo, while indeed sketching out a prospect for reshaping the region—but not in the expected directions. New power centers are emerging, the influence of external actors is being redistributed, and arsenals are being strengthened, yet none of the region’s socioeconomic, diplomatic, or strategic problems appear to be on the path to resolution. The Iranian question—that is, the question of the future role of a major player in the regional arena, whose internal workings remain a mystery—remains unresolved.
This issue is available in French only: De la (nouvelle) guerre
ON (NEW) WAR
War and the Risk of Further Escalation, by Benoît Durieux
What are the Military Implications of AI?, by Louis Gautier
Does Artificial Intelligence Change the Nature of War?, by Laure de Roucy-Rochegonde
War, Targeting, and the International Order: A Strategic Perspective, by Tewfik Hamel
Silicon Valley and War: Lessons from Ukraine, by Julien Nocetti
International Humanitarian Law in the Age of Predators, by Amélie Férey
MIDDLE EAST: WAR AND ITS AFTERMATH
“Remodeling” the Middle East?, by Denis Bauchard
Iran: Anatomy of a Power at War, by Sophia Mahroug
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Where does Afghanistan Stand? The Taliban’s Second Reign, by Jean-Luc Racine
Minorities in Post-Assad Syria: Between Protection and Predation, by Alain Monnier
The United States, a Power without Restraint?, by Adrien Schu
BAROMETERS
Nigeria and the 2027 Presidential Election: Change amid Continuity?, by Marc-Antoine Pérouse de Montclos
The United Kingdom and Russia: An Enduring Rivalry, by Pierre Pahlavi
BOOK REVIEWS
Editor: Marc Hecker
Can Europe Survive? The Story of a Continent in a Fractured World, by David Marsh
L’Euro en danger, by Didier Cahen
By Sylvie Goulard
Géopolitique des religions, by Blandine Chelini-Pont, Roland Dubertrand, and Valentine Zuber
Radicalités religieuses: Au cœur d’une mutation mondiale, by Alain Dieckhoff
Géopolitique religieuse en Méditerranée: Dynamiques et enjeux, by Imad Khillo and Blandine Chelini-Pont
Le nouveau pouvoir évangélique, by Sébastien Fath
By Joseph Maïla
240 pages. 23 euros.
September 8th, 2026.
Diffusion : Pollen/Dif'Pop.
Subscription: Armand Colin.
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The Year He Woke
Vikas Swarup, an Indian writer and former diplomat, is the author of four novels, including Q & A (New York: Doubleday, 2005), which has been translated into 47 languages and adapted for the screen under the title Slumdog Millionaire.
Text published in Politique étrangère, Vol. 91, No. 2, 2026.
War and Technology: An Approaching Military Revolution?
Historically, technological change has altered how battles are fought but has not overturned the fundamental principles of war. However, three considerations may now represent an actual revolution: the recourse to tactical nuclear weapons, the development of software for “multi-domain operations,” and the prospect of general artificial intelligence. The organization of militaries and the use of force need to be rethought in this light.
War and Technology: An Approaching Military Revolution?
Historically, technological change has altered how battles are fought but has not overturned the fundamental principles of war. However, three considerations may now represent an actual revolution: the recourse to tactical nuclear weapons, the development of software for “multi-domain operations,” and the prospect of general artificial intelligence. The organization of militaries and the use of force need to be rethought in this light.
The Crises Testing Arms Control
The arms control system built during and after the Cold War is under enormous stress and is fraying at the edges. It once enabled significant improvements in international security but is in danger of not withstanding the resurgence of tensions in recent years. Urgent action is now needed to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, as well as cluster bombs and anti-personnel mines.