Orthodoxy, republic, peace in Europe, geopolitical visions and irregular wars, anthology of books of the week.
Jean-Arnault Dérens, Geopolitics of orthodoxyTallandier, € 23.50
In a homily in 2022, the Patriarch Cyrille de Moscow said that “Russia does not lead a physical but metaphysical fight against the forces of evil in Ukraine”. Former member of the KGB, close to Vladimir Putin, the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church does not hide his support for the military intervention in Ukraine, which has rekindled the image of a bellicist, ultraconservative and hostile orthodoxy. The Westerner, however, distinguishes two Orthodoxies: that, modern and democratic, of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomée Iisand that, conservative and retrograde, under the supervision of Cyrille de Moscow. The author of this work, a connoisseur of the Orthodox world, denounces the Manichaeism and the simplicity of this approach. In a remarkably clear and educational study, the author analyzes the political and national commitment of the Orthodox churches, on their relationship with the various influence networks of the post-Soviet world, and on their conservative moral doctrine. It is precisely from this link with nations and nationalism that orthodoxy suffers. The post-Soviet years, wars in Yugoslavia and Ukraine and the failure of the 2016 panorthodox council reveals the need to separate, in the orthodox world, temporal and spiritual powers.
Éric Anceau, GambettaPuf, 15€
Léon Gambetta, passionate lawyer who has become a statesman, embodies the republican momentum of the XIXe century. Its attachment to a republic based on meritocracy and national unity echoes the renaan theses: the nation, for Gambetta, is a political and moral project, built by the common will and based on a shared memory. His heritage is immense: beyond his political action-especially during the war of 1870 or in the consolidation of republican institutions-he left his name to countless streets, squares and avenues through France, as evidenced by 20e Arrondissement of Paris, where Avenue Gambetta crosses the working -class districts it defended. This short biography makes it possible to rediscover the journey of a great republican, in the service of equality and the greatness of the nation.
Arnaud Blin, 1648 – Westphalia PeaceTallandier, € 10.50
Few peace treaties have managed to establish lasting peace in Europe. We know the failure of the Treaty of Versailles. Yalta and Potsdam are as well known for the end of the Second World War as for the start of the Cold War. 1648 and 1815, however, saw the establishment of a European order guaranteeing stable and lasting peace. The object of this work is the year 1648, during which the peace of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years War, as well as in multiple wars of religion. Unique, innovative, it enshrines the concept of nation-state, and allows the installation of the “Westphalian system”, based on the homogeneity of European states and the balance of powers, under the eye and control of the United Kingdom, absent from the Treaty. International law owes a lot to this peace treaty, which again interests the contemporary world. We can hope that such a collective security system, based on respect for international law, is the future of global geopolitics. The author allows us to understand the nature of this system by returning to its origins: peace which was signed in 1648.
Gérard Chaliand, The great geopolitical turning pointThe beautiful letters, 25 €
Gérard Chaliand is one of the rare French geopolitologists to have led a field career. Direct observer of multiple conflicts – from the Sahel to Afghanistan, passing by Armenia or Kurdistan – he has always stood out of ideological dogmas to favor a realistic reading of global power relations. This collection brings together its most striking texts, written over several decades, which form a thought of remarkable coherence. It testifies to a radical realism: for Chaliand, geopolitics is not understood neither by the proclaimed values, nor by moral speeches, but through the interests, the rivalries of powers, the imperial inheritances. He describes the slow erosion of Western hegemony, which began after the decolonization of the global south, and the emergence of a multipolar world dominated by new poles of power, especially in Asia. The analysis of one of the most lucid witnesses of geopolitical mutation at work.
Jean-René Belliard, Hezbollah-Israel-a limitless warNew world, € 21.90
This work is the fruit of a precise and excavated investigation on the confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah, an asymmetrical and prolonged conflict which escapes the traditional rules of war. He returns to the targeted assassinations led by Israel (notably the elimination of Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah) and secret operations of Mossad, some of which are revealed in this book. But beyond strikes and shine, the author shows how Hezbollah has a strategic depth which is its best defense: solidly rooted in Lebanon, it relies on a network of support and allies in Iraq, Yemen and Iran. The organization also has active subsidiaries abroad, an increasing military capacity, a sophisticated armament, and above all an experience of the combat forged over several war theaters. A book that allows us to understand why this movement is today one of the most feared non-state actors in the Middle East.
