BEIRUT: Following is a timeline detailing key dates that marked French-Lebanese ties: 1860: Napoleon III sends troops to Beirut to help end Druze-Christian strife.
1862: French Gen. Charles-Marie-Napoléon de Beaufort d’Hautpoul produces first map of Lebanon that vaguely resembles its modern outline.
1920: French Gen. Henri Gouraud announces the formation of the State of Greater Lebanon with “its historical and natural-geographical boundaries.”
1922: League of Nations grants France mandate power over Lebanon and Syria. France is charged with “duty of rendering administrative advice and assistance to the population.”
1926: Lebanese Constitution, inspired by French Third Republic, is penned. Greater Lebanon renamed Lebanese Republic.
1943: Lebanese leaders draft new Constitution, declaring Lebanon independent from France.
1946: Withdrawal of French Troops from Lebanon.
1982: French, Italian and American peacekeeping troops arrive in Beirut after Israeli invasion.
1983: Shiite militant kills 58 French paratroopers in suicide bomb at their Beirut barracks. Peacekeeping force withdraws in following months.
1996: France helps monitor truce after Israeli “Operation Grapes of Wrath” kills 200 Lebanese.
July 2007: International donors gather in Paris and pledge over $7.6 billion to help Lebanon recover from the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. France offers a 500 million euro loan. Lebanese political parties meeting in Saint Cloud, France in attempt to resolve political deadlock.
December 2007: French President Nicolas Sarkozy suspends ties with Syria over the latter’s alleged involvement in the Lebanese political crisis.
January 2014: Saudi Arabia pledges $3 billion in military aid to Lebanese Army to be provided and administered by the French.
March 2014: France hosts International Support Group for Lebanon summit in Paris.
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