French Military History in a Nutshell

The Master

Bow Before Me.
Joined
Sep 26, 2006
Messages
187
Reaction score
23
Location
Time and Space
[FONT=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif]French Military History in a Nutshell[/FONT]

Gallic Wars: Lost. In a war whose ending foreshadows the next 2000 years of French history, France is conquered by of all things, an Italian.

Hundred Years War: Mostly lost, saved at last by a female schizophrenic who inadvertently creates The First Rule of French Warfare - "France's armies are victorious only when not led by a Frenchmen."

Italian Wars: Lost. France becomes the first and only country ever to lose two wars when fighting Italians.

Wars of Religion: France goes 0-5-4 against the Huguenots.

Thirty Years' War: France is technically not a participant, but manages to get invaded anyway. Claims a tie on the basis that eventually the other participants started ignoring her.

War of Devolution: Tied; Frenchmen take to wearing red flowerpots as chapeaux.

The Dutch War: Tied.

War of the Augsburg League/King William's War/French and Indian War: Lost, but claimed as a tie. Deluded Frogophiles the world over label the period as the height of French Military Power.

War of the Spanish Succession: Lost. The War also gave the French their first taste of a Marlborough, which they have loved ever since.

American Revolution: In a move that will become quite familiar to future Americans, France claims a win even though the English colonists saw far more action. This is later known as "de Gaulle Syndrome", and leads to the Second Rule of French Warfare: "France only wins when America does most of the fighting".

French Revolution: Won, primarily due to the fact that the opponent was also French.

The Napoleonic Wars: Lost. Temporary victories (remember the First Rule!) due to leadership of a Corsican, who ended up being no match for a British footwear designer.

The Franco-Prussian War: Lost. Germany first plays the role of drunk Frat boy to France's ugly girl home alone on a Saturday night.

WWI: Tied and on the way to losing, France is saved by the United States. Thousands of French women find out what it's like not only to sleep with a winner, but one who doesn't call her "Fraulein." Sadly, widespread use of condoms by American forces forestalls any improvement in the French bloodline.

WWII: Lost. Conquered French liberated by the United States and Britain just as they finish learning the Horst Wessel Song.

War in Indochina: Lost. French forces plead sickness, take to bed with Dien Bien Flu.

Algerian Rebellion: Lost. Loss marks the first defeat of a Western army by a Non-Turkic Muslim force since the Crusades, and produces the First Rule of Muslim Warfare -"We can always beat the French." This rule is identical to the First Rules of the Italians, Russians, Germans, English, Dutch, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Eskimos.

War on Terrorism: France, keeping in mind its recent history, surrenders to Germans and Muslims just to be safe.
 

Xue Sheng

All weight is underside
Joined
Jan 8, 2006
Messages
34,362
Reaction score
9,523
Location
North American Tectonic Plate
I should probably just leave and not comment but…. I can’t

Yes and don't forget the historical significance of the Maginot Line and its contribution to french warfare.
 
OP
The Master

The Master

Bow Before Me.
Joined
Sep 26, 2006
Messages
187
Reaction score
23
Location
Time and Space
I remember that. A billion dollars in fixed fortifications that the enemy drove around, knocked on their doors and asked for sugar.
 

Andrew Green

Grandmaster
MTS Alumni
Joined
Aug 1, 2004
Messages
8,627
Reaction score
452
Location
Winnipeg MB
The French get a lot of crap for there military history, and really, it's not deserved.

England and France where back and forth and more or less equal for a long time. In WW1 and WW2 they got there butts kicked, but I think just about any country in there geographic location would have. They where also the ones that fought the hardest to keep Germany in place after WW1, but England and the US wouldn't support them, prefering more to let Germany get back in the market as a profitable potential trading partner.

The US esspecially, sat back and made money while Europe fought. They got involved in WW1 because German U-Boats where sinking there merchant ships that they where using to do so. After the war they isolated themselves where Europe kind of thought that since they made all that cash selling weapons and supplies selling to Europe, as well as taking over control of the other American countries that where previously under European control, they should perhaps help out a little in rebuilding.

WW2 came along and the US again stayed out till pretty much the end, and only got in because the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour.

France survived the wars, despite being the battleground for a good chunk of it. Other nations fell apart. Russia collapsed into civil war and ended up going through revolution and forced to pull out of WW1. The Ottoman empire collapse and got divided into smaller states controlled by other European powers.

France got there butts kicked, but they where also the ones on the front lines. The US was on the other side of the world. England had its own island, they got bombed good, but never had ground fighting on the same level as France.

The Maginot line... yes... mistake there, big one. It might have worked pretty well, if it had been complete. Unfortunately the enemy was able to just go around it.
 

Bob Hubbard

Retired
MT Mentor
Founding Member
Lifetime Supporting Member
MTS Alumni
Joined
Aug 4, 2001
Messages
47,245
Reaction score
772
Location
Land of the Free
There was a battle, I forget exactly when, where the French were using hired crossbowmen. The CB's were in front, and due to terrain were forced farther up than was smart, and were forced to leave their shields behind. When the CB's began taking heavy longbow fire from the English army, they did the smart thing and withdrew. So the French, intelligent military minds that they were, cut down their own men. This left the English with the only ranged weapons on the battlefield.

End result?
2 English nobles dead.

The French Nobility was decimated.
 

Andrew Green

Grandmaster
MTS Alumni
Joined
Aug 1, 2004
Messages
8,627
Reaction score
452
Location
Winnipeg MB
Canadians burnt down the white house in 1812. William Wallace defeated the English on a couple of occasions. Jon of Acr won a couple really impressive victories. In WW1 all sides sent infantry attacks against machine gun armed trenches only to get slaughtered. Julius Cesar entered Rome, took control of the city with a single legion, and ended up winning a civil war. Every country has battles I'm sure they'd rather forget in there past.
 

Jonathan Randall

Senior Master
MTS Alumni
Joined
Jan 26, 2005
Messages
4,981
Reaction score
31
Canadians burnt down the white house in 1812. William Wallace defeated the English on a couple of occasions. Jon of Acr won a couple really impressive victories. In WW1 all sides sent infantry attacks against machine gun armed trenches only to get slaughtered. Julius Cesar entered Rome, took control of the city with a single legion, and ended up winning a civil war. Every country has battles I'm sure they'd rather forget in there past.


Bingo. Most Americans would like to forget (and succeed admirably) that we fought and rather spectacularly LOST a brief border war with Canada in 1812.
 

Jonathan Randall

Senior Master
MTS Alumni
Joined
Jan 26, 2005
Messages
4,981
Reaction score
31
There was a battle, I forget exactly when, where the French were using hired crossbowmen. The CB's were in front, and due to terrain were forced farther up than was smart, and were forced to leave their shields behind. When the CB's began taking heavy longbow fire from the English army, they did the smart thing and withdrew. So the French, intelligent military minds that they were, cut down their own men. This left the English with the only ranged weapons on the battlefield.

End result?
2 English nobles dead.

The French Nobility was decimated.

Crecy?
 

Bob Hubbard

Retired
MT Mentor
Founding Member
Lifetime Supporting Member
MTS Alumni
Joined
Aug 4, 2001
Messages
47,245
Reaction score
772
Location
Land of the Free
"Canadians burnt down the white house in 1812."
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Bring extra matches. ;)

A few losses over centuries doesn't hurt, when theres a regular amount, well....

http://www.militaryfactory.com/battles/french_military_victories.asp
1214-2003
Wins - 34/33 (Were there any French forces on the Allied side at Normandy?)
Draws - 9
Losses - 28
 

Andrew Green

Grandmaster
MTS Alumni
Joined
Aug 1, 2004
Messages
8,627
Reaction score
452
Location
Winnipeg MB
Since the British North American act was signed in 1867 I don't need to read whatever it is to know that it's a loose definition of "Canada" ;)

But I did, and it said the same thing :)

We all know that, in 1812 "Canada" as a country didn't exist. But that's ok, we still burnt down your white house :p

Were there any French forces on the Allied side at Normandy?

And where was the US during the first few years of each war? Oh right, nice and safe on the other side of the ocean, where as France was the front line pretty much on day 1.
 

Kreth

Grandmaster
MTS Alumni
Joined
Aug 26, 2003
Messages
6,980
Reaction score
86
Location
Oneonta, NY
We all know that, in 1812 "Canada" as a country didn't exist. But that's ok, we still burnt down your white house :p
I think you missed this quote from that link:
...the forces that burned the White House were British colonial troops.

And where was the US during the first few years of each war? Oh right, nice and safe on the other side of the ocean, where as France was the front line pretty much on day 1.
How does that quote go? "France only wants the US to go to war if there are Germans marching down the Champs Elysee."

Or something... :p
 

Tames D

RECKLESS
MTS Alumni
Joined
Apr 18, 2006
Messages
5,133
Reaction score
665
Location
Los Angeles, CA
[FONT=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif]French Military History in a Nutshell[/FONT]

Gallic Wars: Lost. In a war whose ending foreshadows the next 2000 years of French history, France is conquered by of all things, an Italian.

Hundred Years War: Mostly lost, saved at last by a female schizophrenic who inadvertently creates The First Rule of French Warfare - "France's armies are victorious only when not led by a Frenchmen."

Italian Wars: Lost. France becomes the first and only country ever to lose two wars when fighting Italians.

Wars of Religion: France goes 0-5-4 against the Huguenots.

Thirty Years' War: France is technically not a participant, but manages to get invaded anyway. Claims a tie on the basis that eventually the other participants started ignoring her.

War of Devolution: Tied; Frenchmen take to wearing red flowerpots as chapeaux.

The Dutch War: Tied.

War of the Augsburg League/King William's War/French and Indian War: Lost, but claimed as a tie. Deluded Frogophiles the world over label the period as the height of French Military Power.

War of the Spanish Succession: Lost. The War also gave the French their first taste of a Marlborough, which they have loved ever since.

American Revolution: In a move that will become quite familiar to future Americans, France claims a win even though the English colonists saw far more action. This is later known as "de Gaulle Syndrome", and leads to the Second Rule of French Warfare: "France only wins when America does most of the fighting".

French Revolution: Won, primarily due to the fact that the opponent was also French.

The Napoleonic Wars: Lost. Temporary victories (remember the First Rule!) due to leadership of a Corsican, who ended up being no match for a British footwear designer.

The Franco-Prussian War: Lost. Germany first plays the role of drunk Frat boy to France's ugly girl home alone on a Saturday night.

WWI: Tied and on the way to losing, France is saved by the United States. Thousands of French women find out what it's like not only to sleep with a winner, but one who doesn't call her "Fraulein." Sadly, widespread use of condoms by American forces forestalls any improvement in the French bloodline.

WWII: Lost. Conquered French liberated by the United States and Britain just as they finish learning the Horst Wessel Song.

War in Indochina: Lost. French forces plead sickness, take to bed with Dien Bien Flu.

Algerian Rebellion: Lost. Loss marks the first defeat of a Western army by a Non-Turkic Muslim force since the Crusades, and produces the First Rule of Muslim Warfare -"We can always beat the French." This rule is identical to the First Rules of the Italians, Russians, Germans, English, Dutch, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Eskimos.

War on Terrorism: France, keeping in mind its recent history, surrenders to Germans and Muslims just to be safe.
So France is the Anna Kournikova of Countries. What's wrong with that?
 

Blotan Hunka

Master Black Belt
Joined
Dec 15, 2005
Messages
1,462
Reaction score
20
58 BC-50 BC - The Roman conquest of Gaul. Lost
406-409 - Lost vs. Vandals
507 - Won vs. Visigoths
772-804 - 18 losses and one win against Saxony.
773 - Lombards. Won
778 - Moorish Spain. Partial victory
791-795 - Bavaria. Won
796 - Avars. Won
799 - Roman rebellion. Won
843 - Vikings. Lost
1095-1099 - First Crusade. Won
1147-1149 - Second Crusade. Lost
????-1187 - England. Both sides abandoned war to pursue third crusade. France was ahead at the time.
1187-1191 - Third Crusade. Was winning, but quit when loss was looming.
1214 - Not really a war, but a won battle at Bouvines which ended a streak of mostly losses , and settled conflict with England for the moment. Should probably count as a win.
1209-1229 - Albigensian Crusade. Lost and won.
1248-1254 - Seventh Crusade. Lost
1270 - Eigth Crusade. Lost
1300 - Siezed Flanders, then lost it
1337-1453 - The Hundred Years' War. Finally won
1494-1529 (or 1559) - The Italian Wars - Defeated in turns by members of the Catholic League
1542-1546 - England. Lost
1549-1550 - England. Won
The French Wars of Religion
1562-1563 - lost
1567-1568 - lost
1568-1570 - lost
1572-1573 - draw
1576 - technically a loss, played out as a draw
1577 - draw
1580 - draw/loss?
1584-1589 - draw/loss?
1589-1598 - draw/won?
1636-1648 - French Intervention in The Thirty Years War. Trounced by Spain, ended in draw at home. Assisted Swedish win in Bavaria.
1667-1668 - War of Devolution. Draw/loss
1672-1678 - Dutch War. Won
1688-1697 - War of the League of Augsburg. Defeat abroad allowed victory at home, which permitted a final draw in the Treaty of Ryswick.
1689-1697 - King William's War. Draw
1702-1713 - Queen Anne's War. Lost
1740-1748 - War of the Austrian Succession. France soundly beaten, France's horse, Prussia, wins.
The Three Carnatic Wars
1746-1748 - Lost
1749-1754 - Lost
1756-1763 - Lost
1748 - King George's War. Lost, draw settlement.
1754-1763 - French and Indian War. Lost
1756-1763 - Seven Years' War. Lost
1702-1713 - War of Spanish Succession. Lost
1778-1783 - American Revolutionry War. Won, or in hockey terms "scored an assist"
1789-1799 - French Revolution. Undecided.
The Napoleonic Wars - a few more shining years of aberration
1792-1797 - Won
1798-1802 - Won vs. Austrians, lost vs. Russians, lost vs. British
1805 - Won
1806-1807 - Won vs. Prussia, draw vs. Russia
1808-1814 (The Peninsular War) - Lost
1809 - Won on land, lost at sea and colonies
1812 - Lost vs. Russia
1813 - Lost vs. Spain, won vs. Austria + Prussia
1815 - Lost
1870-1871 - Franco-Prussian War. Normalcy returns, lost
1914-1918 - WW I. Grinding to a draw, pulls out a win when US scores an assist.
1940-1944 - WW II. Lost
1946-1954 - Indochina War. Lost
1954-1962 - Algerian War of Independance. Lost
1956-1957 - Suez crisis. Lost
 

Don Roley

Senior Master
MTS Alumni
Joined
Sep 25, 2002
Messages
3,522
Reaction score
71
Location
Japan
We all know that, in 1812 "Canada" as a country didn't exist. But that's ok, we still burnt down your white house :p

actually, British troops set fire to it and damaged the interior so bad it took three years to repair. But they did not burn it down (i.e. completely destroy it) AFAIK.

http://usparks.about.com/cs/parkhistory/a/whitehouse.htm

I have heard somewhere (but can't find a source in a quick internet search) that the residence was painted white after the attacks to help conceal the damage done by the attack.

Back onto the matter of France, how do we define the Normans? They sailed from France and kicked the British butts on their home turf. But of course, their name "Norman" comes from the fact that they were not originally from France and were only there for a few generations before they decided England was a nice place to visit.
 

exile

To him unconquered.
Lifetime Supporting Member
MTS Alumni
Joined
Sep 7, 2006
Messages
10,665
Reaction score
251
Location
Columbus, Ohio
The Master's list omitted one of the most catastrophic defeats the French military ever suffered—the revelation that it had covered up a groteque miscarriage of justice consisting of the essentially baseless conviction in 1894 of Captain Alfred Dreyfus on the basis of a document concocted by French counterintelligence to deceive German spies interested in French artillery developments. The `honor' of the army was taken to be more important than Dreyfus' innocence, and the resulting sham trial led to an explosive increase in French anti-Semitism whose ultimate payoff was the active collaboration of Vichy France with the SS in the extermination of France's Jews during the Occupation. Even with the military backing the coverup for all it was worth, however, the deception became public, the perpetrators identified, Dreyfus was rehabilitated and eventually left military service as a Knight of the Legion of Honor. The French millitary's reputation was contaminated far worse than it would have been had the error been admitted at the outset—as usual in such cases. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot; these guys succeeded in blowing their whole leg off...
 

searcher

Senior Master
Joined
Mar 15, 2005
Messages
3,317
Reaction score
59
Location
Kansas
Please forgive me, as I did not read through the entire thread, but did anybody forget the French and the Vietnamese. They got their butts kicked out of Southeast Asia and they tried for many years there. As Americans we can't say a whole lot, since we have not faired very well in SE Asia.
 

dragonswordkata

Blue Belt
Joined
Sep 24, 2006
Messages
211
Reaction score
0
Location
sheridan,wy
I knew that during the war of 1812 Canada and the British did some butt kicking on us but what's this about Canadians burning washington. The brits landed and marched on Washington after failing to destroy an american fort.
I will grant again the us forces lost at thier campagines to take Montreal and Qubec. They don't call you guys "the GREAT white north" for nothing. take off eh :)
 

Latest Discussions

Top