De Gaulle and the bipolarization of the Mediterranean
Abstract
This chapter shows how the end of the French colonial presence in North Africa profoundly changed France’s relationship with the Mediterranean. While with the beginning of détente , the Cold War tensions shifted southwards, General de Gaulle and his diplomacy put the international context at the service of maintaining French influence all around the Mediterranean. A range of tools were mobilized to show the peoples of the Middle East, North Africa and Southern Europe that France was a solid guarantor of security in the Mediterranean in the face of the growing Soviet naval presence and American uncertainties.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Historical Geopolitical and Social Dynamics
Global Political and Social Dynamics
North African History and Literature
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Routledge eBooks
- Pages
- 18–72
- Publication date
- 26 February 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book chapter