Challenges of Adapting the Military in Times of Conflict. National Experiences and Case Studies Balkan Conference

 

The Institute for Political Studies of Defence and Military History (ISPAIM), in collaboration with the Fatih Institute of Military History in the Republic of Turkey, organized, on November 5-7, 2024, at the National Military Club Palace, the international conference entitled Challenges of Adapting the Military in Times of Conflict. National Experiences and Case Studies.

 

The event was attended by representatives of military history institutes and the academic environment from South-Eastern Europe, namely Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Turkey, along with researchers and historians from Romania. The event aimed to provide a platform for the enhancement of the scientific dialogue on issues related to the history of war and the creation of an articulated framework for debates regarding the national experiences of reorganizing and adapting the military body in times of war.

 

In the opening of the event, Simona Cojocaru, state secretary for defence policy, planning and international relations within the Ministry of National Defence, sent a message emphasizing the importance of scientific cooperation and the need to enhance regional dialogue. It was shown that the Balkans area is a priority coordinate for Romania, and the actions to promote and understand historical research contribute to the efforts to increase relations among the states in the region.

 

Also, Lieutenant General Dragoș-Dumitru Iacob, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, argued in his speech that understanding wars is essential, both from the perspective of knowledge and historical research, and from the need to adapt to the current military-strategic realities, and the lessons show us that insufficient adaptation of the armed forces can have dramatic consequences.

 

Ph.D. Carmen-Sorina Rîjnoveanu, Director of the Institute for Political Studies of Defence and Military History (ISPAIM), and Professor Gültekin Yildiz, Dean of the National Defence University of the Republic of Turkey, also took the floor in the opening of the working session. In this context, Dr. Rîjnoveanu specified that the scientific event can serve as a platform for the creation of an extensive network of institutes of military history and strategic studies in the Balkans, which would enable the development of a coordinated framework of regional dialogue focused on the promotion of joint research projects in the field of military history and war studies among the state members.

 

The communications held during the conference addressed issues such as lessons learned from past wars - catalyst for changes and adaptations of the military institution, the impact of the Cold War on the Armed Forces, the armed forces’reform after the collapse of communism, the impact of social factors on the military body, innovative approaches and strategies in the face of current challenges.

 

At the same time, the exhibition entitled Balkan Security Cooperation through History was opened and Romania and the Balkan Pact Album was launched in the opening of the conference. Political-Military Cooperation in South-Eastern Europe, as part of the research project developed by ISPAIM, dedicated to Romania's role in the regional collective security system during the interwar period.

The Press Office