# Rainbow Warrior bombing (1985)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1985-rainbow-warrior-bombing
Location: Auckland / France

French agents sank a Greenpeace ship in New Zealand, causing an international scandal. Within the broader Fifth Republic period, The 1958 Constitution created a stronger presidency and a durable Fifth Republic. Decolonization, European integration, social change, economic shocks and recurring debates over identity, secularism and the role of the state have shaped contemporary France. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is François Mitterrand (President of the French Republic). Rainbow Warrior bombing is a useful marker in the longer transformation of political authority, society and culture in France. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Rainbow Warrior bombing is a useful marker in the longer transformation of political authority, society and culture in France.

Ruler at the time: [François Mitterrand](https://history-france.com/rulers/francois-mitterrand)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Rainbow Warrior bombing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Rainbow+Warrior+bombing&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Rainbow Warrior bombing](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Rainbow+Warrior+bombing)
- [Élysée — Institutions of the Fifth Republic](https://www.elysee.fr/en/french-presidency/the-institutions)