Does France Still Count?

France's political leaders have been deeply committed both to maintaining France's independence and to asserting its leadership role in Europe. The end of the Cold War, the demise of the Europe of Yalta, as well as the unification of Germany, have forced France to rethink its European and international strategies. The purpose of this study is to analyze France's effort to redefine its role in the post-Cold War era and in an integrated Europe, and what that redefined role might mean to France, to Europe, and to the United States. In examining France's international role after the Cold War, Steven Philip Kramer seeks to answer the question, does France still count?

STEVEN PHILIP KRAMER is Professor of History at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at the National Defense University and is professorial lecturer at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.