Forces Françaises à Berlin
Encyclopedia
Forces Françaises à Berlin or Forces Françaises de Berlin (French
: French Forces in Berlin) was the name for the units of the French 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's Berlin Brigade
and the United Kingdom's Berlin Infantry Brigade in the city.
, 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.
After the end of the Cold War
and the Two Plus Four Agreement
, all Allied troops left Berlin in July 1994.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: French Forces in Berlin) was the name for the units of the French Forces
Military of France
The French Armed Forces encompass the French Army, the French Navy, the French Air Force and the National Gendarmerie. The President of the Republic heads the armed forces, with the title "chef des armées" . The President is the supreme authority for military matters and is the sole official who...
stationed in Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
-era West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
according to the agreements of the Yalta Conference
Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference, sometimes called the Crimea Conference and codenamed the Argonaut Conference, held February 4–11, 1945, was the wartime meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union, represented by President Franklin D...
and Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was held at Cecilienhof, the home of Crown Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern, in Potsdam, occupied Germany, from 16 July to 2 August 1945. Participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States...
.
The troops were the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
counterparts to the United States's Berlin Brigade
Berlin Brigade
After the end of World War II, under the conditions of the Yalta and Potsdam agreements, Allied forces occupied West Berlin. This occupation lasted throughout the Cold War...
and the United Kingdom's Berlin Infantry Brigade in the city.
History
By agreement of the AlliesAllies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
was divided into four sectors after the unconditional surrender
Unconditional surrender
Unconditional surrender is a surrender without conditions, in which no guarantees are given to the surrendering party. In modern times unconditional surrenders most often include guarantees provided by international law. Announcing that only unconditional surrender is acceptable puts psychological...
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
Allied Control Council
The Allied Control Council or Allied Control Authority, known in the German language as the Alliierter Kontrollrat and also referred to as the Four Powers , was a military occupation governing body of the Allied Occupation Zones in Germany after the end of World War II in Europe...
and the start of the Berlin Crisis
Berlin Crisis of 1961
The Berlin Crisis of 1961 was the last major politico-military European incident of the Cold War about the occupational status of the German capital city, Berlin, and of post–World War II Germany. The U.S.S.R...
in 1961, units from the other three countries were ordered to protect West Berlin against Soviet troops and against the GDR's own NVA
National People's Army
The National People’s Army were the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic .The NVA was established in 1956 and disestablished in 1990. There were frequent reports of East German advisors with Communist African countries during the Cold War...
troops, since the Federal Republic of Germany was not allowed to station Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
units in Berlin. The French Army first stationed troops in Berlin in 1947. Their headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
were called Quartier Napoléon.
After the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and the Two Plus Four Agreement
Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany
The Treaty on the Final Settlement With Respect to Germany, was negotiated in 1990 between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic , and the Four Powers which occupied Germany at the end of World War II in Europe: France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the...
, all Allied troops left Berlin in July 1994.
Combat Units
- 11ème Régiment de Chasseurs
- 46ème Régiment d'Infanterie
- 110ème Compagnie du Génie
- Centre Entrainement de Commando (CEC No 10)
Support Units
- 11ème Compagnie de Transmission
- Gendarmerie Berlin
- Hôpital Louis Pasteur
- Base Aérienne 165
- Groupement de Soutien
- Quartier Général
- Direction des Transport et de la Circulation de Berlin
- État-Major
- Détachement de l'Aviation Légère de l'Armée de Terre (DETALAT)