The resurgence of GPC and the re-emergence of large-scale conflicts have prompted militaries to rethink the way they fight. However, despite facing similar challenges and moving towards greater standardisation, Western armies maintain distinct force designs and pursue different transformations. Building on this observation, this thesis examines the transformation of the French Army as it transitions to high-intensity warfare through the lens OST. It uses the theory’s two-layered conception of security to show how ontological and physical security play crucial roles in driving French Army transformation. Using a qualitative approach and drawing on extensive data from 39 interviews, it argues that the French national and French Army’s ‘sense of self’ have had profound impacts on numerous important aspects of the current transformation process. In addition to highlighting the influence of OS, the analysis underscores the importance of physical security by integrating perspectives from post-Fordist theories and civil-military relations to demonstrate its influence on transformation. By analysing military transformation through an OST lens, the thesis highlights both the strengths of the French approach and the challenges the Army still faces as it shifts to confront a new strategic environment. Overall, the thesis offers three original contributions: a new theory applied to military transformation studies, new empirical data pertaining to the French case, and an innovative application of OST to a new topic.
The French Army Transitions to ‘High-Intensity’: Analysing Military Transformation Through the Ontological Security Theory Lens
Pebay, L. (Author). 2025
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › PhD