France is a founding member of NATO and played an active role in its establishment. Since NATO's creation in 1949, France has consistently upheld its membership, both in the political and military spheres. However, France has frequently criticized NATO's operational methods, particularly regarding the dominant role of the United States within NATO.
Under the presidency of Charles de Gaulle, France asserted a desire for independence and a vision of what Europe should be which are incompatible with American hegemony within NATO, particularly for everything relating to nuclear and to the integration of the armed forces of member countries within a unified command. De Gaulle drew his conclusions and France left the integrated military organization of NATO in 1966. However, cooperation agreements between the French armed forces and NATO forces were quickly signed, which somewhat attenuated the practical significance of this exit from NATO. This cooperation reinforced Treaty of Paris by presidents Mitterrand and Chirac, until 2009 when Nicolas Sarkozy reinstated France into the unified command of NATO.
Throughout the Cold War, NATO played...
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