In 2009, France ended a 43-year rift by returning to NATO's military command
In 2009, France healed a long-standing diplomatic rift by fully reintegrating its military into NATO, reversing a bold decision made by Charles de Gaulle during the height of the Cold War.
President Nicolas Sarkozy led France back into NATO's integrated military command in 2009, ending a 43-year period of partial withdrawal. This strategic shift reversed the 1966 decision by Charles de Gaulle, who had famously evicted NATO headquarters from Paris to protect French sovereignty.
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