The history of France's military nuclear program recounts the path that led France to develop a military nuclear program after World War II. The establishment of the French Nuclear Deterrence Force wa
Pierre and Marie Curie in their laboratory, circa 1900.
Participants at the first Solvay Conference in 1911, including Marie Curie, Ernest Rutherford, Max Planck and Albert Einstein.
Irène Curie and Frédéric Joliot in their laboratory in 1935.
Frédéric Joliot, Hans von Halban and Lew Kowarski in the laboratory in 1933.
Gerboise Bleue was the codename of the first French nuclear test. It was conducted by the Nuclear Experiments Operational Group, a unit of the Joint Special Weapons Command on 13 February 1960, at the
History of France's military nuclear program
…of the Direction des Études et Fabrications d'Armement (DEFA) joined the BEG. It was they who came up with the neutron ignition solution used in the atomic test of February 1960. "Studies on nuclear explosives have been initiated and will be continued…
Students from Mali protesting in Leipzig against the French nuclear test