French Forces in Berlin

Badge of the Forces Françaises à Berlin

The French Forces in Berlin (French: Forces Françaises à Berlin) were the units of the French Armed Forces stationed in Cold War-era West Berlin according to the agreements of the Yalta Conference and Potsdam Conference. The troops were the French counterparts to the United States' Berlin Brigade and the United Kingdom's Berlin Infantry Brigade in the city.

History

French forces of 159e Régiment d'Infanterie Alpine parading in front of the Reichstag.

By agreement of the Allies, Berlin was divided into four sectors after the unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945. The allied powers of France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States of America were each granted control of a sector, with permission to station troops there.

After the withdrawal of the Soviet Union from the Allied Control Council and the start of the Berlin Crisis in 1961, units from the other three countries were ordered to protect West Berlin against Soviet troops and against the GDR's own NVA troops, since the Federal Republic of Germany was not allowed to station Bundeswehr units in Berlin. The French Army first stationed troops in Berlin in 1947. Their headquarters were called Quartier Napoléon.[1]

After the end of the Cold War and the Two Plus Four Agreement, all Allied troops left Berlin in July 1994.

Units

Combat Units

AMX-30 of 11ème Régiment de Chasseurs.

Support Units

References

  1. ↑ "History of the French, American and British Berlin Brigades". Forces Françaises à Berlin. 2004. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  2. ↑ "History of the French, American and British Berlin Brigades". French Units. 2004. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
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