What do you know about the history of France?

[JulieLamar]

[nightdrot]

As we have exchanged ideas on the subject of French history before - you being a native, me an American - I will not go into great detail. Suffice to say that I am something of a student of French history, mostly dating from the post-1848 19th century up to the current period.

Truth in advertising - as I confessed to you in my deep shame before - "sob" - yes, it's true - "sob" - I am a bit more of an Anglophile. (Okay, I admit it!!! I know all three verses to "God Save the Queen." THERE!! I've said it and I'm proud of it!!) Yet, I do admire France and have followed its' history.

Indeed, as a student of European history generally - and the two world wars especially - you can hardly escape studying France. It is quite central to the story - especially in the pre-WWI era with the Dual - and later Triple - Entente.

Also, I am especially fascinated by Charles DeGualle and the - now inexplicably forgotten (even by the French) "Tiger of France" - Georges Clemenceau. In fact, in some ways, I find the latter actually more interesting than DeGualle. (Though I never admit this to my French friends. Shhhhh. They think I am a little eccentric.)

Well, if you can't tell, the foregoing was written with a little humor and tongue in cheek. However, in truth, I have followed French history - more in its foreign policy and military aspects than in its domestic politics - and continue to study France to the current day.

It is an impressive country with considerable achievements and it has to be studied by any serious student of history. Even up to the present day where it still remains a not inconsiderable force to be reckoned with.

[JulieLamar]

Don't worry I understood that was humor haha.

Honestly i always expect an American to be anglophile lol.

I know that many have the impression that the French hate the English and the Americans I don't know where this image comes out lol, but it is not true, if one day you visit France you will see a lot of Anglo culture. saxon here lol.

France tends not to like its great men for long, and you start loving them again once they're dead lol. Let's say that it is not so easy to govern France people do not realize it, the slightest little law or a bad one from a minister can trigger demonstrations and strikes here

I know you respect France and I appreciate it, thank you for that🙂

[nightdrot]

Thanks and nice chatting. Oh, and by the way, I have been to France (as well as neighboring Andorra and Monaco) four times. I very much liked it and the people I met.

[JulieLamar]

Ah great, because I have the impression that often the tourists who come to visit France leave disappointed with the mentality of the "French" lol

[nightdrot]

Not at all, I thought it was a great country. I loved Mt. St. Michel. I thought Paris was a great city.

As to the people, I had heard that they were a bit stuffy, yet I had nothing but pleasant interactions. In fact, I used to collect beer bottles as a sort of mini-hobby. So I ordered one at a restaurant - and the waiter took it away when it was empty.

So I ordered another one. When I finished that he came to take the bottle away. I stopped him and asked if I could keep it. He winked it at me, gave me a small "shhhhh" and pointed to my bag. Apparently he was supposed to take them, but he let me keep it.

It was a small gesture, but a really kind act to a lone American tourist. I had experiences like that all over the place.

To be sure, there were a few, but you'll find that anywhere.

Anyhow, I greatly enjoyed France and its' people - as indeed I enjoy the pleasure of your company is an "online" sort of way.

[JulieLamar]

One day when you have time, I want to know why you don t like Napoleon? lol, so when you have 5 minutes don't hesitate to write me a message to explain it to me lol

[nightdrot]

In very brief compass - as I could write an essay.

1) Corsican brigands are NOT royalty. The latter have a distinguished lineage that goes far back into the mists of history. Napoleon adopted the pretenses of royalty while lacking its actual substance. He was a tyrant and little else.

2) He raced about Europe creating widows and orphans. Not exactly my measure of a prudent statesman. It is one thing to wage war of necessity. Quite another because you believe that you espouse a new world order.

3) He was an enemy to historic continuity and tradition. This harks back to my monarchy argument. His espoused a philosophy that made the mistake of the Enlightenment thinkers. That tradition and custom and religion and all the rest are mere primitive expressions and that man, stripped of these, is innately social and rational. As history proved under his rule - and very often since - this is not so.

As Burke said, such things are essential to man's nature, not alien to it. Strip them away and you reduce man "to his naked shivering nature." The irony being that Napoleon was man stripped to his naked shivering nature - and then he ran about Europe imposing it on everyone else.

Well, that is a brief, given the space and time limitations and is only an outline.

Also, not sure that you will be able to access this link - but give it a try. It sums it up nicely:

www.washingtonpost.com/.../

[nightdrot]

P. S. By the way, if it helps. in addition to DeGualle and Clemenceau, if we are speaking of French monarchs, both real and soi dissant, I am much more a fan of King Louis XIV - the "Sun King" as he was known. A much more impressive figure in my book.

[JulieLamar]

Haha well I will answer these arguments when I have the time, in the meantime I wish you a good day

[nightdrot]

You too and no need to reply. This is not one I think we will resolve. That said, be sure to read that column. If you can't let me know and I may be able to "Copy and paste" it to you through a personal message.

All the best.

[Leavesbound]

Thousands of years ago it was inhabited by Neanderthals. Then the Celts came to town and ruled until the Franks invaded from up north and that is where France got it's name. Invasions from Vikings in the north part led to the Normans taking over that part. At one point France and England were both ruled by the same kings then they weren't. France has been Christian for roughly 1500 years. They had a lot of kings named Louis including Louis XIV the so called Sun King who was the longest reigning monarch in world history and possibly the wealthiest at one point. They helped the Unites States gain their independence and we've been friends ever since. They came up with the Marquis de Sade but then came the French Revolution where they chopped off the king's head (Louis XVI) and the queen's head (Marie Antionette) and a lot of other royals and nobles and other assorted rich people. A few years later Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself emperor and tried to take over the world though I forget which one he did first. Then he was kicked out and sent to an Island though he did attempt a comeback and failed. There were other Napoleons after him and another Louis.

Then France got caught up in WWI known as the Great War and millions died and my grandfather went over their to maintain biplanes so we could bomb the Germans. We won which means France won too and being pissed they really stuck it to the Germans who then got pissed off back and they invaded France a few years later and we helped them out again and this time we made it stick.

Since then France has been a pacifist sort of country, outlawed capitol punishment and lets lots of foreigners in. I'm leaving out tons but those are some highlights.

[KatherineJ]

Not that much. I mean I couldn’t give a lecture on French History, or anything.

[Alexandrubaschet08]

Been defet by Romans in like 3 months (Galia).
France tribes run in Germany and come back to beat the ass of Romans later in time and make West Roman Empire fall.
Become a colonial Empire and enslave and kill milions of native tribes and force them to fight in the France vs UK war.
The nobility never care about theyr people, Marie Antoinette say to the poor people "Why they don't eat cake?".
They saciface the confort of they own people to fight for world domination whit UK, when the France Revolution supose to happen way more early and olso the one from 1848 that leed to "Liberte, Fraternite, Egalite".
Napoleon whas an interesting leader.
They lost the world domination but they succed to keep continental Europ under theyr influence, france language been speached thill my country Romania in 1918.
They whas the only one in WW1 who undertand they need to suport the East Front (Romania and Russia) so they can win the war.
They olso are traitors for WW2 been cowerd and not moving the capital of France before Germany take it and destroy all the Europ because of that, lather afther they surend and war whas win by UK, USA and URSS, this country >France< regive ocupation zone in Germany will in the East Romania whas send back home by the USSR afther we both free Czech.
Charles de Gaulle whas the one of theyr best man as well, visiting my country, send suply and produce to be sell and make buisnis whit us in the hard time of communism.
He olso condamn the surender akt of France and have the same vision like mine to fight to the very end.
They make good chees, dres very nice, make good wine but not bether then Italy.
They serv you whit very small portion of food.
Is a latin country
And many other :)

[JulieLamar]

Lots of things wrong lol we didn't enslave millions and kill millions

[Alexandrubaschet08]

Africa will say something diferent as well the Native americans

[Alexandrubaschet08]

The say say Russia about the East Block and the communism time
The same say UK about theyr Empire
Same say Austrians about theyr
Same say Italy about theyr.
Same say Turkey about theyr.
But the small nation know bether.
You come on strange lands that never belong to you in order to exploatet them and the people to become more powerful.
European country should had never live Europ on the Ocean, and when we finde out is a continent ther, that continent should had been untouch.
Just visited whit not army or buildings and investition, ther whas already people who live theyr own live and now they are no more.

[JulieLamar]

It is not we who killed thousands of native Americans, moreover during the seven-year war the native Americans were in their majority on the side of the French, and Africans have seen the increase population increase thanks to us, so don't be ridiculous

[Alexandrubaschet08]

You increas the population but they still made 10-30 kids in theyr family and afther that they face starvation that last thill now.
Africa whas a whaild continent, they never need you or even ask you to come ther.
You come ther to do your own buisnis.
Same for America, in America now are talk 3 ofiicial languages>English, Spanish, Portugise. (4 unoficial) + France. Ther is no native official language ther. Whit prove your crimes.
Same for Africa.
The first country who ban slavery from Europ whas Portugal, NOT FRANCE!

[Alexandrubaschet08]

I didn't say Indo-China.
China had more right on that region then France to be ther.

[Alexandrubaschet08]

Algeria doesn't seem to love you France.
www.aa.com.tr/.../1635943

[JulieLamar]

Portugal could well abolish slavery before the others because they began colonization long before France.

In addition, slavery was already practiced by Arabo-Muslims before Europe and do not forget that the African authorities and merchants actively participated in the slave trade.

And I could tell you about several African countries which have invaded other countries and reduced the population to slavery. So moral lessons make a lot of laughs

[JulieLamar]

Algeria is a French invention

[Alexandrubaschet08]

It's not about morality, it's about the laws of nature.
We Europe aspired to a prosperous, moderate and united continent in cooperation, here I mean all the countries of our continent.
Africa is separated in 2 by the Sahara desert, which was south it was never our job there we did not have to enter and make our presence felt at all.
As for the North, it was long lost + that no country came to free the Nordics from Muslims, but only for money and living flesh.
Asia (Arab peoples and the Far East) has always been a vast, diverse and unstable continent. Asia could never become what Europe is, the differences between the two present continents also created the continental geographical barrier: the Ural Mountains, the Caucasus Mountains and the Bosphorus Strait.
Asia does what it wants and they have every right to do the same to us, but we are guilty of a hypocritical conception believing them to be superior and liberating when in fact we are not and we have not been.
Romania, Poland, Ukraine, the Baltic States, Finland, all the Balkan countries asked for your help and you never came to us in the Middle Ages, only after you finished enslaving the backward peoples.

[Alexandrubaschet08]

Western countries are hypocritical and criminal traitors.
The east is full of backward and selfish barbarians.
All the great powers of the world are not at all worthy of the esteem they demand.

[ChrisMaster69]

A bit.

however I have a question for you.

when do you consider France the complete country actually started?
Under Clovis or later under Phillip II
Or under Hugh Capet.
obviously it was mainly Kingdom of the Franks and not France as such.
just wondered if there is a specific point when it’s —-This now France.

[JulieLamar]

Interesting question, in reality there is no precise date of the beginning of France, France is a long construction, but I am starting the history of France with Clovis, because he will choose the Catholic religion, he will have Paris as his capital, and the word France comes directly from Franc, and all our kings will be sacred in Reims like Clovis

[ChrisMaster69]

Thanks, that was sort of my thinking.

It’s a bit like some of the other European nations, they are actually quite young.

As an aside England starts with Æthelstan in 927AD

[JulieLamar]

Yes, I think England and France are the two oldest countries in the West

[Makeushiver]

I know most of France's history from the time of Descartes and Pascal to today. I don't know much from when the are around Paris was known as the Lang d'oi (the people who say "oui" ) compared to the land where people say "oc" now known as the Langedoc

[JamieLoves]

They’re Cowards.
They Smell
Never take Baths
Love eating Frogs 🐸
They’re very nasty and Bourgeoisie!
England kicked their Asses
They invented the Guillotine.
Chopped a lot of frenchy heads off.
They eat cake instead of Bread.
They charge tax by the house windows
The Nazis kicked their ass.
They’d be speaking German if it weren’t for the USA

[SpaceGalaxy]

Ball of the Burning Men. 1393.
Affair of the Placards. 1534.
St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. 1572.
Execution of Anne de Chantraine. 17 October 1622.
Man in the Iron Mask. 1669-1703.
Affair of the Poisons. 1677-1682.
Damiens Affair. 1757.
Beast of Gévaudan. 1764-1767.
Great Movies

[Anonymous]

Bits and pieces. Part of your history is also ours.
France and England - two siblings bound by a love hate relationship dating back hundreds of years.

[JulieLamar]

Oh you are English

[EyesOfGod]

They stole the title of Roman Empire when the Buztine was always apart of the Roman Empire even after it fell.

[JulieLamar]

🤔 ?

[Supernormal]

That I was conceived there cos my parents made their honeymoon there. 1989 sometime in June. Nine months later exactly 1990 march 29 at about 12:07pm I was born.

[Anonymous]

Not too much. I know they had a shit ton of colonies all over the world (still do), they had a revolution, and I know Napoleon sent a bunch of Pollacks to Haiti to stop the slave revolt, but they ended up helping them. LOL

[kevyhanma]

All I know is they gave America the Statue of Liberty and even though they were discovered by Americans in Belgium the people there spoke French so we called them French fries

[Iron_Man]

I’m familiar with World War II and I know that it’s A beautiful city I went on the Eiffel tower when I visited

[msc545]

Enough to know that the French are VERY tough people.

[JulieLamar]

Why? 😅

[msc545]

I've lived in Paris. I would never want to start a war with the French. I like them, but they can be very insistent on having things their way - it's ok.

[g0dof_GaG]

It’s filled with drama like the revolution and Napoleon and sun king Louise the 16th. And Belle Époque and other stuff

[ManHater]

Let's see they revolted to remove their 5 % of wealthy people and cut off their heads. Where the English never had the balls to do that.

[princeofromance]

A whole lot of nothing to be perfectly honest with you.

[Waldoe]

mmm after Napoleon they were conquered by everyone...

[Bean2thousand]

If I were French, I would completely erase my history and start all over.

[Anonymous]

Once there was time France didn't exist and it is now returning to that time.

[Anonymous]

That they killed their last queen because the last king had a medical deformity to his penis that made getting an erection painful.

[Anonymous]

All i heard growing up was ladies wear no pants in france.. It was a nursery ryme..

[TheFlak38]

A lot of things.

[JulieLamar]

For exemple?

[TheFlak38]

Charlemagne, Napoleon, Viking siege of Paris, French pioneers of moving pictures, Caesars campaigns across France, French Revolution, French Colonial Empire, Allied Campaign in Normandie and the open plains of France, French Indochina war, Legion Entrangere.