The relationships between the Army and society have raised a number of questions since the professionalization of the Armed Forces in 1996, as the military fear a loss of interest of the French people for the defense of their country. This paper tries to offer some pragmatic answers to the following questions; what is meant by the notion of relationship between the Army and society which has partly replaced the notion of link between the Army and the nation? How can we represent these relationships as objectively as possible? Why should we be concerned about the relationships existing between the Armed Forces and civil society?
Les relations armées-société sont l’objet de nombreuses interrogations depuis la professionnalisation des armées décidée en 1996, les militaires craignant un affadissement de l’intérêt des Français pour la défense de leur pays. Cet article tente d’apporter des réponses pragmatiques aux questions suivantes : de quoi est-il question sous ce terme de relations armées-société qui a remplacé en partie celui de lien armée-nation ? Comment rendre compte le plus objectivement possible de l’état de ces relations ? Pourquoi se préoccuper des relations existant entre les armées et la société civile ?