France and the South Pacific

France's presence in the South Pacific is a subject of considerable controversy. In the 1980s French agents sank the Greenpeace vessel "Rainbow Warrior", killing one crew member; protests against French nuclear testing gained wide sympathy, and more than 40 people died in political turmoil in New Caledonia. "France and the South Pacific" sets these events in context. After reviewing the French presence in the region until the Second World War, the book examines the recent history and politics of the three French Pacific territories before analyzing the often tense relations between France and the independent South Pacific countries. While France's relations with both its Pacific territories and the South Pacific countries have improved in the past year or two, the underlying conflicts will persist while France's nuclear testing programme continues, and until the complex New Caledonia question is resolved. "Stephen Henningham is a Research Fellow in the Department of Political and Social Change at the Australian National University.". This book is intended for students and researchers in international relations, and in particular, Pacific studies.