PDA

View Full Version : The Complete Military History of France



magicfan241
02-14-2004, 12:39 PM
This might be offensive to French lovers or French people.

(snip)
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 female schizophrenic who inadvertently creates The First Rule of French Warfare; "France's armies are victorious only when not led by a Frenchman." Sainted.

Italian Wars
- Lost. France becomes the first and only country to ever 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 Revolution
- 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. Three ties in a row induces deluded Frogophiles the world over to 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 every 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
- Tied, primarily due 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.

World War I
- Tied and on the way to losing, France is saved by the United States. Thousands of French women find out what it's like to not only 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.

World War II
- 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 the 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 Esquimaux.

War on Terrorism
- France, keeping in mind its recent history, surrenders to Germans and Muslims just to be safe. Attempts to surrender to Vietnamese ambassador fail after he takes refuge in a McDonald's.

The question for any country silly enough to count on the French should not be "Can we count on the French?", but rather "How long until France collapses?"

"Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without an accordion. All you do is leave behind a lot of noisy baggage."

Or, better still, the quote from last week's Wall Street Journal: "They're there when they need you."

magnav0x
02-14-2004, 03:43 PM
Read that before around the beginning of the Iraq sequal. Laughed my ass off all day. I still giggle profoundly when I think about it :D

excaliber
02-15-2004, 06:58 AM
The best part of this is when you search google for "French Military Victories" and hit "Im Feeling Lucky", Google trys to correct your spelling to "French Military Defeats"

:)

wirthi
02-15-2004, 03:03 PM
Really fun, and quite true. Great text if you'r looking for amusement on the cost of frenchman :D

But if you view it from the "real-world-side":

I'm no frenchman and I usually don't try to save their honor but it's written a bit one-sided. You could write the same about some (but not all, of course) US wars this century:

* Vietnam war: leaving without a result, making the enemy (communism, North Vietnam) to win the war against the south. Prevented "loosing" by leaving the scene.

* Korea: In fact war still going (only ceasefire at the moment). Tied at the moment.

* Gulf War I: well, technically won, but failed to remove Saddam & Co, and in the end the same status as before the war.

* Afghanistan: Again, technically won, but Bin Laden still alive (?), terrorists (Al Kaida) still operating, region not really secure, ...

* Gulf War II: not (really) won yet ... the enemy is still fighting

I mean, that's not your oppinion about those wars (guess you think you've won them)? But you could view it that way, and that's what has happened to the french wars.

They'r not that bad at making wars: Napoleon ruled almost all Europe twice before he was stopped by a "last alliance" every time (Battles at Leipzig and Waterloo). Charlemagne (Carl the Great) ruled the region of France and Germany. After his death the empire was split in France and Germany (making both countries bitter enemies for the years to follow). And not to forget: France still has the most colonies or regions it has political impact on as far as I know. Most of them didn't go to France without resistance.

Ah, by the way, "Wilhelm the conquerer" (who was French) won the battle of Hastings and thus conquered England, and never lost it :) So that's at least one war won by French armies.

Wirthi

magicfan241
02-15-2004, 03:20 PM
If you would really like to know, I try to make fun of all countries equally. So I see a french joke here, english joke here, american joke here, japanese joke there, etc.

I think North Korea is next :)

magicfan241

magnav0x
02-15-2004, 03:27 PM
Korea: In fact war still going (only ceasefire at the moment). Tied at the moment.

I think Bush wants to take care of that, but he already used his one war for his term. Maybe next term :rotfl:

wirthi
02-15-2004, 03:42 PM
Originally posted by magnav0x
I think Bush wants to take care of that, but he already used his one war for his term. Maybe next term :rotfl: I don't think he would dare to solve that militarily (did I type that correctly?). North Korea has the second biggest army in the world (AFAIK, counted in "people"), 13 years of military service, etc. NK has nuclear power, can shoot missiles at Japan & South Korea, etc. War would not be as "funny" as others were recently (Afghanistan, Iraq). US would win most likely, but at what cost?

A diplomatic solution would REALLY be better this time ...

Editet: typo ...