France’s international stance, its objective attributes of power and an ambitious foreign policy agenda make this country one of the most interesting case studies in strategic culture. This field of research was developed in the U.S. in the late 1970s when the term “strategic culture” appeared in broader academic debate. Making use of the aforementioned analytical tool, the author examines the strategic environment of post-Cold-War France on three levels: (1) the form of participation in international alliances, (2) the professionalization of the military and its impact on the bond between the people and the army, and (3) the readiness to use the military force outside its own territory. The three areas of analysis have been carefully selected because they adequately reflect, as shown in the paper, the most substantial changes in France’s foreign security policy after the collapse of the bipolar world system.
