chapter 2

Chapter Two: This chapter checks the alternation and evolution of the rules of the French military concerning interpreters in the early twenty-first century, addressing these changes in the broader historical area which shaped by the post-Cold War involvement with the colonial conflicts. Here, it focuses on the experiences of the French military in Algeria and on peacekeeping operations in Bosnia, and on military involvement in Africa in the 1990s, considering the evolution of institutional perceptions of interpreters over time. The main focus is on transitions to the operational environments of Afghanistan and Iraq, where the difference between peacekeeping missions and operations is forcing novel demands, blurring the role of interpreters and their inconsistencies with recognised norms. This chapter investigates the administration, key definitions, and implementation of interpreters in the French military by checking the official policy documents, guidelines, archival materials, publications, and focusing on the institutional theoretical frameworks that respond to both transformation and continuity. This chapter shows the main differences between the complex reality met in historical contexts and the official representations of interpreters, so it sets the necessary foundation in the related field and era. It also sets a theoretical framework for evaluating the differences in modern behaviours in the historical patterns, and continues to strengthen the determined limitations in identifying the responsibilities of interpreters.