François Géré (born August 28, 1950), a French historian specializing in
geostrategy
Geostrategy, a subfield of geopolitics, is a type of foreign policy guided principally by geographical factors as they inform, constrain, or affect political and military planning. As with all strategies, geostrategy is concerned with matching me ...
, is notably the founding president of the French strategic analysis institute, the ''Institut français d’analyse stratégique'' (IFAS). He is also an official representative for the French Institute of Higher National Defense Studies, the
''Institut des Hautes études de défense nationale'' (IHEDN) and research director at
Paris III University. He was awarded the distinction of Knight of the French
Legion of Honor
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...
in 2005.
Life path
An education focused on analyzing wars and nuclear arms control
François Géré was born in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
on August 28, 1950. In 1975, he became
Agrégé in History, PhD in 1991, then in 2000 he obtained post-doctoral research accreditation (''Docteur Habilité'') in contemporary history at the
University of Paris III – Sorbonne Nouvelle, where he was appointed research director in 2003. At the same time, he contributed from 1977 to 1982 to the magazine ''
Cahiers du Cinéma '', under the section “Cinéma, Histoire et Guerre” (Cinema, History, and War).
As early as 1985, he specialized in analysis of
irregular wars (
Indochina
Mainland Southeast Asia (historically known as Indochina and the Indochinese Peninsula) is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to th ...
,
Algeria
Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
, etc.) and the first developments of the
nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear exp ...
under the
French Fourth Republic
The French Fourth Republic () was the republican government of France from 27 October 1946 to 4 October 1958, governed by the fourth republican constitution of 13 October 1946. Essentially a reestablishment and continuation of the French Third R ...
, as well as in the study of the different currents of French and American strategic thought since 1945. In 1988, he entered the Fondation pour les etudes de defense nationale, where until 1992 he was student and assistant to General
Lucien Poirier
Lucien Poirier (1918 – 10 January 2013) was a general of the French Army and a theoretician of nuclear deterrence.
Military career
Poirier began his military service at the beginning of World War II, after graduating from Special Military ...
, a theoretician in
nuclear deterrence
Deterrence theory refers to the scholarship and practice of how threats of using force by one party can convince another party to refrain from initiating some other course of action. The topic gained increased prominence as a military strategy d ...
. During several stays in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, he trained in the physics of nuclear weapons and in
ballistics
Ballistics is the field of mechanics concerned with the launching, flight behaviour and impact effects of projectiles, especially weapon munitions such as bullets, unguided bombs, rockets and the like; the science or art of designing and acceler ...
from the perspective of oversight processes for
arms control
Arms control is a term for international restrictions upon the development, production, stockpiling, proliferation and usage of small arms, conventional weapons, and weapons of mass destruction. Historically, arms control may apply to melee wea ...
treaties.
Research and advisory activities
In 1993, François Géré was technical advisor for nuclear affairs and official representative for
arms control
Arms control is a term for international restrictions upon the development, production, stockpiling, proliferation and usage of small arms, conventional weapons, and weapons of mass destruction. Historically, arms control may apply to melee wea ...
at the French national secretariat for national defense and security (Secrétariat général de la défense et de la sécurité nationale).
In 1994-95, he was visiting professor at the
School of Advanced International Studies
The School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is a graduate school of Johns Hopkins University based in Washington, D.C. The school also maintains campuses in Bologna, Italy and Nanjing, China.
The school is devoted to the study of int ...
(SAIS) at
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...
in
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, where he taught French foreign and defense policy.
Senior researcher in 1994 at the
Centre de Recherches et d'Études sur les Stratégies et les Technologies or Centre for Study of Strategies and Technologies (CREST) of the
École Polytechnique
(, ; also known as Polytechnique or l'X ) is a ''grande école'' located in Palaiseau, France. It specializes in science and engineering and is a founding member of the Polytechnic Institute of Paris.
The school was founded in 1794 by mat ...
in
Palaiseau
Palaiseau () is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Palaiseau is a sub-prefecture of the Essonne department and the seat of the Arrondissement of Palaiseau.
Palaiseau was a royal doma ...
(France), in 1997 he became director of scientific affairs at the
Foundation for Strategic Research
The Foundation for Strategic Research (''Fondation pour la recherche stratégique'' or ''FRS'') is an independent French think-tank. It was founded by Pierre Joxe (then Minister of Defence) in 1992-1993 by merging the FED (''Fondation pour les Ét ...
, then in 2001 founded the Institut Diplomatie et Défense, which in 2003 became th
Institut français d'analyse stratégique(IFAS), of which he is director (see below for more details on the IFAS). At the same time, he directed the Institut Diplomatie et Défense (2001–2004).
Starting in 1998, François Géré developed an independent research program on the relations between
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
.
Institut français d'analyse stratégique (IFAS)
Th
Institut français d’analyse stratégiquestudies all the conflicts around the world. Its analyses focus on the material and spiritual motives that generate them, on the military forms that they take, in particular
terrorism
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
and
guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include recruited children, use ambushes, sabotage, terrori ...
, and on all the technological instruments that they use. Because of the extreme importance of this latter component, the IFAS analyzes
nuclear proliferation
Nuclear proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons to additional countries, particularly those not recognized as List of states with nuclear weapons, nuclear-weapon states by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonl ...
,
chemical
A chemical substance is a unique form of matter with constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Chemical substances may take the form of a single element or chemical compounds. If two or more chemical substances can be combin ...
and
bio-bacteriological risks, and strategies connected to
missile
A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor.
Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this ...
s and
anti-missiles. as well as the development of
military activity in space. IFAS activities comprise all the fields connected with
nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a War, military conflict or prepared Policy, political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are Weapon of mass destruction, weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conven ...
, added to which is research on the conflicts and
terrorism
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
in the
Middle East
The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq.
The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
.
The institute studies procedures for controlling organized violence and returning to a state of peace, and the role of
international organizations
An international organization, also known as an intergovernmental organization or an international institution, is an organization that is established by a treaty or other type of instrument governed by international law and possesses its own leg ...
in managing and resolving crises. In this perspective, it gives special attention to information operations, psychological action, and
conflict mediation.
The IFAS approach consists in combining field studies (
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
,
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
,
Palestine
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
, etc.) with theoretical considerations on the modern forms of war as linked to the historical and anthropological constants governing human confrontations.
Main publications
Books
* ''La prolifération nucléaire'', coll. Que sais-je ?, Presses universitaires de France, Paris 1995, 127 pp.
* ''La guerre psychologique'', Economica, Paris, 1997, 423 pp.
* ''Demain la guerre : une visite guidée'', Calmann-Lévy, Paris, 1997, 257 pp.
* ''La société sans la guerre'', Ed. Desclée de Brouwer, Paris, 1998, 329 pp.
* ''La réserve et l'attente : l'avenir des armes nucléaires françaises'', with General Lucien Poirier, Economica, Paris, 2001, 329 pp.
* ''Les volontaires de la mort : l’arme du suicide'', coll. Essais Bayard, Bayard Presse, Paris, 2003, 295 pp.
* ''Pourquoi les guerres ? Un siècle de géopolitique'', coll. 20/21, d’un siècle à l’autre, Ed. Larousse, Paris, 2002, 192 pp.
* ''Pourquoi le terrorisme ?'', coll. Pourquoi, Ed. Larousse, Paris, 2006, 160 pp.
* ''Iran, l'état de crise'', coll. Tropiques, Karthala, Paris, 2010, 252 pp.
* ''Dictionnaire de la désinformation'', Éditions Armand Colin, Paris, 2011, 352 pp.
Proposal Paper
"World Governance of Civilian and Military Nuclear Energy", Proposal Paper, Forum for a new World Governance, March 2010, 64 pp.
["Proposal papers," drawn up by members of the civil society in all of its diversity in the framework of th]
Forum for a new World Governance
, are a collection of short books including, in each of the fields of world governance, proposals that will have appeared as the most relevant to set in motion the new departures and mutations necessary for the construction of a new, fairer, and more sustainable world governance. Located somewhere between thinking and action, the proposals are intended both to serve as catalysts for an international collective debate and to constitute a tool to optimize and reinforce the actions of groups and individuals working on the implementation of new ideas and innovative practices that are up to the challenges of this early millennium.
Articles
* "La mesure de l’homme, essai sur l’imaginaire raciste", ''Cahiers du Cinéma'', N° 315, September 1980.
* "American Strategy, Space, Strategic Negotiations", ''United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research Newsletter'', Vol. 3, The Institute, New York, 1980.
* "In Search of a Missing Link: Nuclear Terrorism and Nuclear Smugglng", unpublished manuscript, Centro A. Volta, Como (Italy), 1994.
* "U.S. Hegemony and NATO", ''Defense News'', Washington DC, March 8–14, 1999.
* "French Offer New Path", ''Defense News'', Washington DC, August 6–12, 2001.
Contributions to collective works
* "Two Fictions Concerning Hate", with Jean-Louis Comolli ''in'' Jenkins, Stephen (ed.), ''Fritz Lang: The Image and the Look'', British Film Institute, London, 1981.
* "Suicide Bombing: A possibility for France?", ''in'' Sharpe, Mary (ed.), ''Suicide Bombers: The Psychological, Religious and Other Imperatives'', NATO Science for Peace and Security Series, Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Suicide Bombers: The Psychological, Religious and Other Imperatives, IOS Press, Amsterdam, 2008.
* "Suicide Operations: Between War and Terrorism", ''in'' Gérard Chaliand and
Arnaud Blin, ''The History of Terrorism: From Antiquity to Al Qaeda'', University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 2007.
External links
Selection of articles by François Géré on the Internet
On the IFAS Web site:
"Iran : une crise accoucheuse de stabilité" February 20, 2005.
"Pour un moratoire sur les sanctions à l’égard de l’Iran" January 8, 2010.
"La Bombe et la mémoire : une commémoration pour l’avenir" February 17, 2010
On the Web site of ''Le Monde diplomatique'':
"Imperium américain" November 1997.
On the Web site of ''Le Figaro'':
"Derrière le Hezbollah, la Syrie est au bout de la ligne de mire israélienne" July 18, 2006.
"Les bénéfices d'un dialogue de paix avec l'Iran" July 22, 2008.
"Pour qu'elle ne soit pas morte en vain... " on the assassination of Benazir Bhutto on December 27, 2007, January 10, 2008.
"Afghanistan : cinq raisons de rester, six moyens d'y parvenir" September 23, 2008.
Selection of interviews of François Géré on the Internet
"L’enjeu, c'était le contrôle de la population", interview by David Servenay for Radio France International in the framework of the fiftieth anniversary of the Algerian insurrection, October 29, 2004.
"Interview : François Géré s’exprime à propos des armes de destruction massive et du terrorisme" for interet-general.info, by Kyra Dupont Troubetzkoy, August 7, 2005.
"La démarche américaine mène à une impasse" interview by Arnaud de la Grange for Le Figaro.fr, September 1, 2006.
Selection of videos of François Géré on the Internet
April 3, 2009 (10’29").
*
ttp://www.dailymotion.com/video/x95l18_les-100-jours-dobama-francois-gere_news Les 100 jours d'Obama interview on Sahar TV, May 1, 2009 (2’40").
Doit-on craindre l’Iran ? Institut de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques (IRIS), June 1, 2009 (4’23").
Connected articles
*
Foundation for Strategic Research
The Foundation for Strategic Research (''Fondation pour la recherche stratégique'' or ''FRS'') is an independent French think-tank. It was founded by Pierre Joxe (then Minister of Defence) in 1992-1993 by merging the FED (''Fondation pour les Ét ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gere, Francois
1950 births
Living people
20th-century French historians
French male non-fiction writers
21st-century French historians