- +41 21 729 46 44
- info@chpm.ch
- Avenue Général Guisan 117-119
Military history and foresight are at the heart of the CHPM's activities, and it is above all a place for exchanges and reflections on the military fact, accepted in its broadest sense. It also aims to disseminate knowledge within the population, the necessity of which the war in Ukraine has painfully recalled in the context of an informed democratic debate.
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The Centre for Military History and Forecasting (CHPM) was founded in 1969 by Colonel of the General Staff Daniel Reichel (1925-1991), a historian specialising in the Napoleonic era, who was then Director of the Federal Military Library and the Swiss Army Historical Service. He was also a theorist of Military matters, which literally means: «the military thing, i.e. «the art of war».« He crystallised his thinking in the quadrilogy »Fire, Shock, Manoeuvre and Uncertainty" and worked to renew military history by breaking down its barriers and adding a new dimension in the form of foresight.
The CHPM is an apolitical, independent association with humanist values. It is funded by its approximately 250 members, as well as by a network of private and institutional donors. It is run by a committee and a scientific committee.
Its headquarters is located at General Guisan Centre, on the banks of Lake Geneva, in Pully. It also makes available to its members a library, integrated into the documentation centre of the Morges Castle and its Museums.
The centre's action is based on fundamentals
The CHPM develops complementary activities aimed at deepening understanding of military and strategic issues. It organises conferences and symposia, supports the publication of specialised works, offers wargames that encourage experimentation and training for decision-makers, and provides courses in military history that integrate the analysis of conflicts and war experiences.
This research axis addresses the themes of the well-known «Shock-Fire-Manoeuvre-Uncertainty» series, as well as what the military refer to as «lessons learned» or «feedback».
A comparative and multidisciplinary approach, with recourse to other sciences such as psychology or political science.
Exploitation of key military concepts: strategic, operational, and tactical command, and the fundamental principles of Swiss military thinking.
Become a member and take part in a community committed to strategic thinking, military history, and the defence challenges of tomorrow.
The Centre for Military History and Prospective Studies (CHPM) has set itself the main tasks of to research, analyse and disseminate Swiss military history in general and Switzerland in particular, as well as reflecting on the security and defence stakes of tomorrow. The Centre acts as a think tank that:
through the study of archives, testimonies and historical facts, particularly those related to the Swiss army and conflicts in which Switzerland has been involved or played a role.
striving to identify and anticipate evolving threats, technologies, and defence strategies, in order to inform political and military decision-makers.
through conferences, publications, and collaborations with journals such as the RMS, to disseminate its analyses to the public, professionals, and researchers.
promoter the transmission of the history of Swiss soldiers and military events, notably in collaboration with the General-Guisan Centre in Pully.
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