Gérard Chaliand, Renowned Geopolitical Expert and Witness to Revolutions, Passes Away at 91

Gérard Chaliand, a distinguished author specializing in geopolitics, revolutionary movements in developing nations, and terrorism, passed away on August 20 in Paris at the age of 91. His extensive body of work was deeply informed by his direct experiences within conflict zones around the world.

His death was confirmed by the Kurdish Institute of Paris, an organization advocating for Kurdish rights with which he was affiliated. According to his son Roc, kidney failure was the cause.

Chaliand, whose name is pronounced 'SHA-lee-ahn', spent much of his life in France where he taught at elite institutions including the École Nationale d’Administration and the École de Guerre, as well as universities abroad such as the University of California, Berkeley, and Harvard. His geopolitical lectures were highly regarded, frequently attended by senior diplomats and military officers. What set him apart was his rare firsthand exposure to the revolutions he analyzed.

Over nearly 40 years, Chaliand engaged directly with guerrilla fighters and revolutionary movements in regions including Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Jordan, Lebanon, the Philippines, Afghanistan, North Vietnam, the Kurdistan region, Sri Lanka, and Eritrea. He witnessed the early stages of the Algerian uprising against French colonial rule in the 1950s. Throughout his career, he interacted with iconic revolutionary leaders such as Che Guevara, Ahmed Ben Bella, Julius Nyerere, Sékou Touré, and especially Amílcar Cabral of Guinea-Bissau, whom he greatly admired.

Though drawn to the dynamics of insurgency, Chaliand maintained a role as an observer and chronicler. Reflecting on his approach, he told a French radio program in 2008 that 'felt knowledge is irreplaceable.'

His direct involvement in the 1960s gave him early insight into the shortcomings of many liberation struggles in what was then known as the third world. Contrary to the widespread optimism of that era, particularly among leftist circles, Chaliand recognized that these revolutions frequently failed to deliver enhanced security, freedom, or prosperity to their populations. His candid assessments in the early 1970s provided a sobering counterpoint to prevailing enthusiasm for liberation movements.