The non-perturbative QCD potential

The potential between heavy quarks can be rigorously defined in a QCD effec tive field theories framework. I discuss the general situation when the cou pling constant may not be considered small and provide an explicit expressi on for the potential valid up to order 1/m(2). Spin dependent and spin inde pendent terms are expressed in terms of Wilson loops, completing land corre cting) an ideal journey started twenty years ago with the classical work of Eichten and Feinberg.