How is it that the french have nearly no military victories?

SGT. D

I think it's because they never learned to shoot while running backwards.

P G

They do..just not in the last 80 years or so. On paper, they should have beat the Germans in 1940. They had a bigger army, more tanks, more mechanization overall, and overall superior equipment. The French were beaten by outmoded tactics and poor leadership. There is a book called "Strange Victory" which explains this very well. France was once a world power, and the only thing that keeps them relevant in the world today is the fact that they have nukes. Because of thier diminished position, they feel they must oppose American policy to make themselves relevant.

The Great Northern

Funny, but I seem to remember a certain battle during the AMERICAN Revolution where FRENCH troops secured our countries victory.

Yes we bailed them out of WW1 and WW2, but were you alive to witness Germany's prowess? They almost destroyed the Soviet Union which had more men than the U.S. and the other Allies combined.

Without France, we would not be a country, and the War against Germany would have been lost in WW1, and would have been significantly more difficult in WW2.

France was a country long before the U.S. was, and they have many more victories than the U.S.

Just a Suggestion

Dig a little deeper...a country that old has a few victories...as well as a few defeats (WE SURRENDER!)

See the link below.

Kronos

The French have quite a few military victories. The won most of their battles in the Napoleonic War and had several key victories in WW1 including the battle of Verdun. In recent years it is true that France hasn't put up much of a fight it still does have a victorious military history.

vtsztpu

Check out the military history of Napoleon Bonaparte, and the victory of Charles Martel in the Battle of Tours that saved Europe from a complete Muslim conquest.

scredawg

They didn't even win the French Revolutionary war...

Rik

General de Witte is right. Some one who completly ignore history made the link to french military defeats.
If you are serious look at serious sites.
The french had a lot of military victories during the ages (fe during Louis 14, Napoleon, 1st world war, 100 year war).
For those that think that the french are cowards, mostly they lost the battle by being to brave and attacking without good tackic.
I will not give examples again and again. Its a waste of time for a lot of you that like only to read what corresponds with their ideas. For the serious people, via wickipedia you can find a lot.

general De Witte

instead of looking at a website from a dude who was funny ( at first ) better take a look at some sites which are historically correct and learn the real history and certainly not that crap.
I have the impression that it are mostly Americans who belief all this crap, here on the old continent we rather stick to the real correct history

s g

Not to mention the fact that the French secured victory for the revolutionary war for us at Yorkshire. Without the French America would still be part of the monarchy. Well, we are still a part of the monarchy, just not publicly. Put that in your pipe, and smoke it!!

Mark Y

Well those sites you googled must have been recent history that totally ignore the Napolean era where the French could not be stopped.

However, since then France has pretty much been a laughing stock. It's true that the US would probably not have won their Independance without the French, however they had to put in their own leg work before France would help them. In that period, France was getting their butts handed to them by the British in every conflict. The French assistance in the Revolutionary War was not because they wanted to help the US but because they wanted to defeat the British in a war. Since the French could not defeat the British by themselves, they needed to be sure that the Americans would be a formidable partner in the war so that they would not have to carry the whole load of the war. The turning point at Saratoga convinced the French to join the American war effort. With the assistance of the French, the Americans were able to win their independence.

brainstorm

I think you have a limited view of history. Did you know that hte USA has never won a war against strong opponents by itself other than the American Civil War.
Its usual position on war against major powers is to sit on the sidelines until the fighting dies down and then come in to take advantage of the situation as with WW1 and WW2.
The French were fighting in both wars long before the Americans even got out of bed.

David C

They were with us when we won in 1991 against Iraq. They made great bread. =)

MrWiz

The French of modern times have only had a few supporting victories but not too many on their own. They fought with the patriots to defeat the English in the American Revolution, They liberated Strasburg at the end of WWII and the helped defeat the Roman Empire in ancient times.

Lenny A

The French have by far the worst reputation I don't know anyone who actually likes the French ! But why did traitorist America, employ the French angainst England ? How could you side with the enemy of your parent Nation in your efforts against England ? and now your hypocrtical enough to call England your greatest Allie ! Why the hypocrisy, is that just the American way ?

hypofocus

Ask Napolean.

angothoron

That is a website someone put up.

However

They have had some military victories, (Battle of the Marne). However many have been with British assistance. (Doing it for them). The French military has been decimated in 3 sucessive wars with the Germans, 1870, 1914, and 1940. Hence where their bad rap comes from.

martin d

You answered your own question it is because they are french!! they would rather eat and make love to there faces than fight.

Nemesis

The same could be asked of the US. They haven't been on the winning side since WW2 and things don't look like they are going to change in the near future.

In spite of all the technology, the US army is one of the worst in the world

ronnny

Has a pretty good history all over the globe. Done lots of good just the recent history since the UN and such been getting bad publicity.

John T

As pointed out, the french have had a few victories in battle. Sadly, they've usually lost the war. Also, we've lost a few battles, but usually win the war, even if we mark it down as a loss (i.e. VietNam). Some correctly point out that they've won the battles when their allies were there, but I think all their warriors got fed up and moved here back in the 18th century. (Some of our American warriors do have a French lineage.)

Question is where will our warriors move when they tire of the lack of gratitude of those we protect.

If you go to war without the French, who is there to rescue from the POW camps? Did you hear about the catastrophe in France? Their national flag factory burned down and now they have no white flags to wave.

Old SGM

A French Officer asked a British Officer why they wear Red Jackets on the battlefield?
The British Officer said; "So the enlisted soldiers cannot tell when an officer has been wounded, it would demoralize the troops."
Of course that explains why French Officers wear brown trousers when in combat.

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