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Article: Towards the army of the future: domestic politics and the end of conscription in France.
- Article from:
- West European Politics
- Article date:
- October 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 Frank Cass & Company Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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On 22 February 1996, French President Jacques Chirac took to the national airwaves and announced a sweeping reform of the French military, perhaps the most comprehensive reform in the history of France. It calls for a dramatic restructuring of all three branches of the armed forces. Major reductions in troop numbers are planned. Furthermore, the French nuclear deterrent, the force de frappe, will be restructured and reduced. President Chirac's most ambitious reform is his plan to gradually phase out the longstanding policy of military conscription, and to phase in a professional army made up entirely of volunteers.(1) This specific policy, which I intend to focus on, was ...