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From: usenet@PARIS.ICS.UCI.EDU
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Eastern Europe
Summary: French are in Berlin for a reason
Message-ID: <11708@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 25 Nov 89 04:04:34 GMT
References: <11431@cbnews.ATT.COM> <11499@cbnews.ATT.COM> <11669@cbnews.ATT.COM>
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From: usenet@PARIS.ICS.UCI.EDU
In article <11669@cbnews.ATT.COM> ssc-vax!shuksan!major@beaver.cs.washington.edu (Mike Schmitt) writes:
>
>  I'll insert a footnote here.  Though France has 'officially' withdrawn
>  militarily from NATO - the French still have the 3rd French Army stationed
>  inside West Germany (Southwest West Germany).  The French PX in Baden-Baden
>  is a very interesting place to shop.  They 'own' and operate a major training
>  area in Muensingen (about 30 kilometers southeast of Stuttgart and 20
>  kilometers west of Ulm).  
>  
>  So, in one sense, they don't have to cross the West German border - they're
>  already there.  In anger?  My first choice is that they will support NATO. 

There's a reason why the French are in West Germany and especially
Berlin.  By having been on the right side of the war, they became one
of the occupying forces of Germany, and became entitled to the status
as "occupation force ally", along with the British, Americans, and
Soviets.  The French were the last to give up occupation of their
respective section of West Germany (I believe it was around 1972).  No
ally has given up his occupation of Berlin, for very good political
reasons, although the Berliners govern themselves for the most part.

So who decides if Germany reunifies?  World War II has to officially
end first (a peace treaty was never signed).  I leave the answer as an
exercise. 

Hammy
SGT John S. Hamilton  (used to be of Ops BN/Field Station Berlin)