For the fourth consecutive year, on October 25, 2025, Aspen Institute Italia has organized an international conference on European defense. This year, we are celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Pavia. This battle – a revolutionary event for Europe – was emblematic of changing times, from a political, strategic, and technological standpoint. Similarities with current conflicts abound.
The report, attached here, is being published on the occasion of the conference and is part of a multi-year project by Aspen Institute Italia. This 500th anniversary edition focuses on the land dimension of European defense. The wars currently underway reveal a dual dynamic: on the one hand, the emergence of new technologies and tactics on the battlefield; on the other, the rediscovery of the need for heavy armored forces, artillery, and other instruments that seemed destined to lose their central role in modern armies. To explore these issues in greater depth, the report drew on the collaboration of the Italian Army.