Part 12/14:
World War II (1939–1945) brought occupation by Nazi Germany, the Vichy regime, and widespread resistance. The 1944 Normandy landings marked the beginning of liberation, with Paris liberated on August 25, 1944. Postwar reconstruction and the establishment of the Fourth Republic followed, alongside decolonization efforts, including the painful Algerian War (1954–1962).
European Integration and Recent Developments
Since the 1950s, France has been a founding member of key European institutions, including the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951, the European Economic Community in 1957, and the first European Parliament. The 1992 Maastricht Treaty officially created the European Union.