What allowed England (United Kingdom) to be superior to France?

[Julie4]

England and France fought several wars in the period from Louis XIV to Napoleon, this period is often called by historians the "Second Hundred Years War".

During this very long period the two countries fought for commercial, maritime and colonial domination, in short for "world domination".

This struggle ended in 1815 with the definitive victory of the United Kingdom, from that date on the domination of the world became English and it kept this domination throughout the 19th century and even a little more until the beginning of the 20th century.

In your opinion, what allowed England to win this long struggle?

[abc3643]

The French have better food and wine and took it easy enjoying it. Can you blame them?

Seriously, macarons! How could one not be in love with them?

Once you go to Ladurée on Avenue des Champs-Élysées, you never want to leave. I know I didn't. It was the morning of my wife's 50th birthday, the day after Bastille Day, and we wouldn't have left if we didn't have to get on the Thalys back to Brussels / Bruxelles in Belgium.

GOD, I miss Paris!

Besides, the French gave us the Metric System. That's good enough to say they're every bit as good and important as the English.

[midnightmoon05]

And the fashion, the perfumes and coffee.
The only place to get the best cappuccino is Laudree in NYC. Laudree is my favorite place to enjoy a cup of cappuccino. Sitting in the garden, sipping a cup of cappuccino makes me feel like I’m in Paris.

[abc3643]

@midnightmoon05 There are at least two in Manhattan. Are you talking about the one by the Museum District on Central Park East? I haven't been to Manhattan in a long time; I don't think any Ladurée establishments were in Manhattan last time I was there... and I am a native NYer!

[Julie4]

Haha , ok let's say that all this is as important as a political domination lol

[midnightmoon05]

I have only frequent the SOHO location in West Broadway. If you google their website, the garden is magical. The interior rooms are very French with the colors and statues. It’s been there around 10 years.
Madison Avenue location is a little shop. I walked by often but never been inside.
I will visit the Paris location next summer.
Hope you get to Paris soon.

[Sixgunsound]

With Napoleon’s defeat at Leipzig, and the subsequent restructuring of France, remaining competitive internationally was easier for the UK than France. However, the UK would also be humiliated shortly afterwards by its former colonies a second time, heralding the rise of a young upstart nation across the Atlantic.

[Julie4]

Yes haha , Napoleon had said about the Usa and Russia "When I die, I leave two victors, two Hercules in the cradle: Russia and the United States of America."

[Sixgunsound]

Thanks for MHO

[Julie4]

No problem 😉

[purplepoppy]

England didn't defeat napoleon in 1815 that was mostly down to the prussians. But when a scale model of the battle field was made it became clear the English contribution wasn't that great so they upped the number of red coats and rewrote history.
Aside from naval power the industrial revolution happened a little earlier in the UK and it took a while for the French to catch up

[Julie4]

I agree with you for the most part. But I respect Wellington

[WhitneySnow]

“The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton”

[Anonymous]

Napoleon over played his hand. Why invade Spain? Go on an Egyptian military expedition? Invade Russia?

None of it really did much for France. I mean I guess you all got some cool artifacts from Egypt that are now in museums... but so what?

Napoleon squandered his men in fruitless conquests. I’m not debating the efficacy or legitimacy of empires, merely pointing out that Napoleon pissed away his Grand Armee’. But what a man was Bonaparte. He was an absolutely brilliant general but his reach exceeded his grasp. After Russia his military was absolutely decimated. I think I remember that only like 2 out of every 10 men survived the campaign, most dying from malnutrition, illness, and the cold.

[Sandeeppingping]

Bro man's a badass that's why he did it😂😂😂

[Julie4]

The only mistake is Spain. For the rest the campaign of Egypt it is not Napoleon who decided to invade it, Napoleon was a soldier at that time, and France was directed by the Directory, following the victory of Napoleon in Italy, the members of the government will be suspicious of Napoleon that he suspects to have political ambitions, then to move him away from France he decides to send him to Egypt.

The Russian invasion was justified by the fact that Russia had not respected the treaty of Tilsit that it had signed in 1807

[Sandeeppingping]

Many reasons, England's navy had a huge role in it, on land I believe on most occasions Napoléon would have defeated the English, but getting there in the first place was the issue, let alone that by 1815 having all of Europe wanting your head is a tough spot to be in, France dealt with it for such a long time though those people were badass

[RyanEC]

I think it comes down to two things.
1. England had Bigger navy.
2. England did not need to worry as much about internal conflict (French revolution) or external conflict (the War of Spanish succession.)

[RyanEC]

But of course I think France is a great nation as well.

[Julie4]

Yes you are right, I also think that the English institutions have given him a great advantage, especially the Bank of England in the 17th century while France will be forced to wait for Napoleon before creating one

[Andres77]

They weren’t distracted by focusing on quality tasty well seasoned food like the French were…so they could focus more on military matters.

[Andres77]

That’s just a guess.., because the Brits have the most bland food on the planet.

[Julie4]

Haha, and well for me the Americans are English who had the chance to have a larger land lol, after all the settlers of the 13 English colonies, was subjects of his British Majesty 🤣

[Anonymous]

France had aggressive land neighbours. England was an island nation, forced by geography to make a kick ass navy.

Even still, France got Napoleon. The UK wasn't and isn't that superior.

[AngryCarl]

Probably naval supremacy. For a long time it was said "Britannia Rules the Waves". Britannia being the physical embodiment of Britain.

Obviously that's no longer true.

[Googlemyahoo]

England at one point controlled almost all of France in the medieval era.

[LadiesFavoriteToy]

UK is a fucking shit hole, where white girls are groomed and raped by muslims. It's pretty much okay for muslims to rape children in that ountry.

[Jenny-Marie]

Oh dear. Perhaps you should learn that stupidity isn't a virtue and trolling impressed no-one.

[acooke-13]

@LadiesFavoriteToy haha, yikes.

[LadiesFavoriteToy]

@Jenny-Marie sure thing pedophile. i bet you were doing your job. you are just as much brain washed s they have you.

[OddBeMe]

Is there a chart that shows wins and losses over the last 2000 years?

Either way, we're all friends now. Sometimes racist af, but friendly.

[purplepoppy]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-French_Wars is a good start. Pre 1066 the relationship was more friendly until Harold broke his vow to let William be king. The only war I can think of prior to that would be the invasion of Brittany in 383AD www.kmatthews.org.uk/arthuriana/brittany.html but I'm sure there must have been others.

[OddBeMe]

@purplepoppy interesting. Thought thered be more in medieval period. But the English long bow was like the German Junker.

[purplepoppy]

Don't forget medieval English Kings were actually French. Wars were more about family squabbles than nationality. English royalty only gave up the claim to France very recently when George vi dropped the title

[OddBeMe]

@purplepoppy even the WW1 monarchs were cousins fighting each other with millions dying.

[Anonymous]

Decline of religion and growing scientific sentiments and protestants led to industrial revolution , where they used loot from India and other colonies as a boost.

[FunkyMonkee]

The Brits speak English, the French don't.

[Jouth]

oh okay

[acooke-13]

Not all Brits do, a lot of Welsh speak Welsh, same with N. Ireland

[FunkyMonkee]

@acooke-13 I'd like to think you know what I meant.

[acooke-13]

@FunkyMonkee I sure know what you're implying.. just letting you know :)

[FunkyMonkee]

@acooke-13 Okay but, I already knew that. Thanks, anyway. Scots also have their own lingo.

[acooke-13]

@FunkyMonkee I didn't know you knew by your comment. Yes, all countries tend to :)

[FunkyMonkee]

@acooke-13 Yes, I AM half Scotch!

[acooke-13]

@FunkyMonkee oooo half Scottish but grew up in the US? You're American.

[FunkyMonkee]

@acooke-13 Yes, half scotch. The other half is ginger ale!
I guess I'm actually 1/4 scotch. Scottish, Irish and German on dad's side and Irish and Slovack on mom's side. According to dad's mom, she comes from German royalty!! (So did the Windsors!) Her maiden name was Von Heid (or was it, Von Heyd?).

[acooke-13]

@FunkyMonkee Almost, she doesn't come from German royalty but is just German. That's interesting, I'd like to be anything other than then English, Irish and Scottish I am! I have no idea where Von Heid came from, fairly positive it was Mount-batten.

[FunkyMonkee]

@acooke-13 I'm just going by what she claimed. My cousin wrote a huge binder of info on our lineage. It's in storage and I haven't looked at it much. It might be able to tell me more about grandma''s German ancestry. It DOES go back a couple hundred years to Ireland so, maybe it WILL go back to her German roots! I recall one thing she discovered, Sharon Stone is my 5th cousin by marriage.

[acooke-13]

@FunkyMonkee if I were you I would definitely go and look at that, you might find out more interesting information. Shame about the news of the Queen.

[FunkyMonkee]

@acooke-13 If I can remember to bring it back here the next time I go to my storage unit. It's a 2 mile walk from here. Getting there isn't so bad but coming back, it's nearly all uphill.

[loveslongnails]

Certainly not the food! LOL

[MiseriaCantareAFI]

better armed forces.

sorry france

[Julie4]

Best navy yes, best army no lol

[pizzalovershouse]

Better food an job opportunities

[Jouth]

white people

[Julie4]

I did not know that the French were of a different ethnic origin than the English

[JustiReno]

Ugh of course they are English is an ethnicity

[Jouth]

they are white

[acooke-13]

@JustiReno White is the ethnicity, not English.

[JustiReno]

@acooke-13 that’s a very modern concept, look up definition, white is “race”, English and Irish is ethnicity. Just like African American is and Ethiopian American is, and also “black” is a race. Same with Japanese and Filipino are ethnicities and Asian is a race. White people definitely are not all the same and if they were then how come you can’t speak to them? This difference in culture, and social grouping defines ethnicity. Also, are you from USA or Europe?