"In 1959, France's WWII resistance leader Charles De Gaulle became president, and right from the beginning of his mandate, he insisted that 'the defence of France must be French'. His focus on rebuilding post-war France as a global power consistently set him at odds with US leaders. De Gaulle ensured that France developed its own nuclear weapons, rather than - as the UK did - taking up the American offer of shared nuclear technology."
"He was also keen that, 20 years after the end of the war, American troops should leave France. This met with considerable opposition in Washington. President Lyndon Johnson - who hated De Gaulle - reportedly told his Secretary of State Dean Rusk to ask De Gaulle: 'Do you want us to move American cemeteries out of France as well?'"
France maintains no US military presence on its soil due to President Charles De Gaulle's post-war policy prioritizing French independence and sovereignty. After World War II, American troops were stationed throughout France as part of broader European military presence during the Cold War. De Gaulle, who became president in 1959, declared that France's defense must be French and pursued independent military capabilities, including developing unilateral nuclear weapons rather than accepting American nuclear technology. He demanded American troops withdraw from French territory, a position that faced significant opposition from Washington, particularly from President Lyndon Johnson. By 1966, De Gaulle successfully removed all US military forces from France, establishing a precedent that distinguishes France from other European NATO members.
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