Samenvatting

With regard to officer socialization, Sparta represents the old model of military education, which - applied in an intraorganizational and isolated manner - focuses on military skills and an attitude of loyal service to the nation. Athens, on the other hand, stands for an open education in a broad spectrum of academically founded intellectual capabilities in the service of politics and diplomacy. Are we moving away from Sparta and on towards Athens? This article tries to answer this question by presenting a closer look at the changes in the operational and socio-political context of armed forces and by illustrating trends in the new conception of the officer education in Europe. The main conclusion is that the European way leads towards Athens without leaving Sparta behind entirely.