Forces: April 28, 2000

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France has decided to abandon two centuries of conscription and adopt a professional army. The armed forces will shrink from 500,000 to 260,000 in the process (which will take four years.) This will include a 60,000 man rapid reaction force. The change in attitude came about as France became more comfortable with the European Union, and the end of the cold war. Both events eliminated the centuries old fear of invasion


 


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