"shonen" wrote in message
...


As I remember they pulled out at least partly due to the Cuban missile
crisis. It became apparent to them, and everyone else, that Europe could
not
depend on the US not to sell them out in a crisis. As happened. The US
were
willing to do a secret deal with the Soviets to pull out the missiles from
Turkey in exchange for the Soviets pulling their missiles out of Cuba. The
US would not be willing to commit to full scale war for Europe. The French
felt that they needed an independent nuclear capability to deter the
Soviets, rather than relying on the US, who had demonstrated a willingness
to sacrifice NATO security for their own.


Incorrect

The Cuban missile crisis happened in 1962
France withdrew its forces from the Nato command structure
in 1966 giving as a reason the dominance of US commanders in the
organisation.

There was nothing in the NATO charter to prevent France
developing its own strategic deterrent , this is in fact what the
UK did.

Keith