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War and Peace in the Nuclear Age (1986-05-11)
About this film
Pierre Messmer was the French Minister of Armies from 1960-1969, and Prime Minister from 1972-1974. Most of the interview is taken up with descriptions of the thinking of President De Gaulle toward NATO and nuclear weapons. His basic point is that De Gaulle opposed a NATO integrated military command and pressed for a French nuclear capability primarily because he believed in France's need for independence. The French president did not think that the threat from the Soviet Union was significant at the time, Mr. Messmer argues, but because of his "tragic view of history" believed that the need would eventually arise for the country to develop all possible resources at its disposal. Mr. Messmer relates several instances of further disagreement with the United States, including France's refusal to accept the offer of Polaris missiles in 1963. He identifies a number of mistaken U.S. conceptions about Europe and France, noting for example that Robert McNamara's flexible response doctrine was inappropriate for Europe. Other governments accepted it, in his opinion, because they had no choice. He also touches on France's sometimes difficult relations with Germany and Britain. After witnessi…
Directors & creators
WGBH Educational Foundation
Subjects
public broadcasting, AAPB, Pierre Messmer, Charles de Gaulle, Robert McNamara, Lauris Norstad, Francois Mitterrand, NATO, Force de frappe, McMahon Act, nuclear proliferation, nuclear weapons, French foreign policy, national sovereignty, Cold War, United States-France relations, United Kingdom-France relations, West Germany
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