Wargaming and methodology: Playing war to better understand it

Lecture by Quentin Censier - from the YouTube channel " Sur le Champs "

Is wargaming just a game? Or can it become a genuine tool for historical and military reflection?

In this lecture, Quentin Censier will offer an exploration of wargaming as a method for analyzing, experimenting with, and understanding war. Inheriting from exercises used since the 19th century in officer training, wargaming allows one to confront the real constraints of command: uncertainty, friction, constant adaptation, the role of chance, and the clash of wills.

Drawing on numerous examples from military history and historical wargaming, this presentation will demonstrate how wargaming allows us not to "replay" the past, but to explore its underlying mechanisms, decisions, and logic. Why do some maneuvers seem obvious in hindsight? How can we understand the choices of commanders faced with uncertainty? What can historical simulation truly contribute to the thinking of both historians and enthusiasts?

The conference will also address the limitations of the exercise: a wargame remains an imperfect model, built according to rules and assumptions, which requires critical distance and caution in interpretation.

Between military history, methodological reflection and the culture of the game, Quentin Censier will offer an exciting dive into a tool at the crossroads of research, pedagogy and strategy.

Duration: 1 hour

• 30-minute presentation

• 30 minutes of Q&A with the audience

Quentin will be on a live video conference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fFuNsavu9c