The Fall and Rise of French Sea Power: France's Quest for an Independent Naval Policy 1940-1963

by Hugues Canuel

The Fall and Rise of French Sea Power explores the renewal of French naval power from the fall of France in 1940 through the first two decades of the Cold War. The Marine national continued fighting after the Armistice, a service divided against itself. The destruction of French sea power--at the hands of the Allies, the Axis, and fratricidal confrontations in the colonies--continued unabated until the scuttling of the Vichy fleet in 1942. And yet, just over twenty years after this dark day, Charles de Gaulle announced a plan to complement the country's nuclear deterrent with a force of nuclear-powered, ballistic missile-carrying submarines. Completing the rebuilding effort that followed the nadir in Toulon, this force provided the means to make the Marine national a fully-fledged blue-water navy again, ready to face the complex circumstances of the Cold War.

An important continuum of cooperation and bitter tensions shaped naval relations between France and the Anglo-Americans from World War II to the Cold War. The rejuvenation of a fleet nearly wiped out during the hostilities was underpinned by a succession of forced compromises, often the least bad possible, reluctantly accepted by French politicians and admirals but effectively leveraged in their pursuit of an independent naval policy within a strategy of alliance.

Hugues Canuel demonstrates that the renaissance of French sea power was shaped by a naval policy formulated within a strategy of alliance closely adapted to the needs of a continental state with worldwide interests. This work fills a distinct void in the literature concerned with the evolution of naval affairs from World War II to the 1960s. The author, drawing upon extensive research through French, British, American, and NATO archives (including those made public only recently regarding the sensitive circumstances surrounding the French nuclear deterrent) maps out for readers the unique path adopted in France to rebuild a blue-water fleet during unprecedented circumstances.

Genres: History

368 pages, Hardcover

Published March 30, 2021

Reviews

[Shrike58 · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I learned about this book I was actually rather excited, as no systematic study of the subject really seemed to exist. Canuel's main focus is alliance behavior, as various French leaders tried to claw back a major power role for Paris while beholden to and dependent on allies, while at the same time French naval leaders worked at assimilating new strategic realities and new technology. These matters and issues Canuel seems to handle rather well.

I say rather, because the downside of this monograph is that Canuel has a rather sloppy hand when writing about technical details. A particular issue through the work is that Canuel writes inconsistently about French cruisers, which for assorted reasons is a rather complicated topic, but he still manages to make a hash about it even though the prime references on the topic are in his bibliography. There is also the image of the French aircraft carrier "La Fayette" (the former USS "Langley" (CVL-27)), ostensibly with SBD Dauntless dive bombers on her flight deck, except that they're SB2C Helldivers. It's gaffs like this that makes me wonder what else Canuel has gotten wrong, and tempers my enthusiasm.

[Lesley-Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting, well-researched examination of French Post WWII naval policy that provided new insight on France's relations with its allies.

[Garrett Olinde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting details on the French Navy, but long discussions.