# Operation Serval begins in Mali (2013)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/2013-operation-serval-begins-in-mali
Location: Mali
Categories: battle

French forces intervened against jihadist groups advancing southward. 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 Hollande (President of the French Republic). Operation Serval begins in Mali mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. 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
Operation Serval begins in Mali mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

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

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