Before I begin, France has A LOT of history. I can’t cover it in detail (this is, after all, only one blog post), but I’ll do my best to do it justice. This will be a very brief sum up of France’s history. If anything interests you, I encourage you to look deeper into it. I encourage it in general. And please, if you feel like anything in this post needs a follow up, post it in the comments below! I would love to read it!
During BCE (before common era), France is split into several groups: the Gauls, the Aquitani, the Greeks, and the Belgae. The Romans, under Julius Caesar, conquered the Gallic region of France in the Gallic Wars. The war lasted from 58-51 BCE. France went through several wars in which they gained and lost land under several leaders. One of the more significant conflicts is the Hundred Year’s War, a series of wars that lasted from 1337-1453. It began after Charles IV of France died, leaving no blood heir other than Edward III of England. Edward III was Charles IV’s nephew and Phillip IV of France’s grandson which made him the last living male member of the House of Capet (aka House of France). Edward III’s Mother Isabella of France was unable to claim the throne due to a principle established in 1316 that made it impossible for women to succeed the throne so Isabella claimed it for her son. The French rejected this claim, stating that Isabella didn’t have the right to assert a ruler of France. The French wanted the House of Valois to control France, and so the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet went to war to decide who would rule over France. Joan of Arc entered the war in 1429, helped retake the city of Orléans, France, inspired the takeback of several other cities, and then was killed by the English in 1430. In the end, the French won, and Charles VII (aka Charles the Victorious) remained King of France. The most notable changes that came from the Hundred Year’s War were: the democratization of the French army, the modernization of weapons and the creation of French nationalism. During the Hundred Year’s War, the Black Death broke out (between 1348-1353). The Black Death is one of the most catastrophic pandemics; a plague that resulted in the death of something between 75-200 million people (worldwide).
More wars over land and religion ensued. One of those was a war with Italy, the First Italian War (over land and power), in which they lost but became inspired by the Italian Renaissance so they came home and started the French Renaissance. The French Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement in France between the 15th-17th centuries. Most notably what came from the French Renaissance was the spread of humanism, exploration of the “New World,” the development of art, an elaboration of etiquette and the urbanization of Paris. More wars happened. Louis XIV created the idea of an absolute monarchical rule, known as the divine right of kings, which made the monarch more powerful than everyone, except for God. This means he was better than, and therefore didn’t have to listen to the people, the aristocracy, or even the church. More wars followed that made France the primal power in Europe.
In 1754, conflicts over territories in North America with the English led to the Seven Year War. The English won in 1763 which led to the French losing “New France” which consisted of territories in North America, Spanish Florida, several islands in the West Indies, the colony of Senegal on the West African coast, and superiority over the French trading outposts in India. This loss also meant that France was no longer the primal power in Europe anymore. Upset about this, the French assisted the Americans in their upheaval against the British in the American Revolutionary War. They did this hoping that it would help them gain back some of the land they lost in the Seven Year War, however it left them in further debt, and they gained very little from it.
After the recent wars (Seven Year War and American Revolutionary War) left the French bankrupt, a highly inefficient tax system screwed over the poor, years of bad harvests lead to increased food prices, malnutrition, and hunger, the rich couldn’t give a damn about the majority of France’s problems. All of which led to the French Revolutionary War. Notable events that occurred during the French Revolutionary War were: the storming of the Bastille (will cover in greater detail later), the curtailment of the church powers (this law reorganized the French Catholic Church, made it so the salaries of the priests would be paid by the state, abolished the Church’s authority to levy a tax on crops, and again cancelled some privileges for the clergy), and the creation of a constitutional monarchy (the King has to share power with an elected legislative assembly). Napoleon Bonaparte was a military and political figure that came to rise during the French Revolutionary War. Napoleon did a lot, however, the biggest impacts he had were: he shifted more power to Paris so that all decisions about France would be made in Paris, decreased hostility between the government and the church, came up with a modernized, more efficient tax system, made it so any man could serve in the army rather than the aristocrats choosing for them, and most importantly, helped create the Napoleonic Code (According to Wikipedia: “The Code recognized the principles of civil liberty, equality before the law, and the secular character of the state. It discarded the old right of primogeniture (where only the eldest son inherited) and required that inheritances be divided equally among all the children. The court system was standardized; all judges were appointed by the national government in Paris.”). After Napoleon died, France became politically unstable with the government changing every few months (even during peaceful times).
And you know what happened next! More wars over land and religion! Eventually the French railway system became popular which led to the modernization of French rural cities, and helped facilitate the rise of the industrial revolution. In 1869, the French said “NON” to the possible candidate to the throne of Spain, Prince Leopold von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. The war over that (the Franco-Prussian War) ended with the Treaty of Frankfurt which meant the newly formed German Empire could keep Alsace and Lorraine (previously French provinces). Franz Ferndinand, an Austrian archduke, was shot and a shit ton of countries went to war with each other (World War I). Eventually France joined in, partly out of obligation, partly because they were hoping to get the provinces back that they had lost in the Franco-Prussian War. The Great Depression finally hit France around 1931, though not nearly as hard as it hit some other countries.
Germany invaded Poland in 1939 which forced Britain and France to declare war on Germany even though they REAAAAAALLLLLLLYYYY didn’t want to. In 1940, Germany defeated and occupied France but the Allies (the side France was on) won in 1945. After World War II, France was financially and socially messed up. Charles de Gaulle stepped up to put France’s shit back in order. He founded the fifth republic (France’s current system of government), initiated the “Politics of Grandeur” which stated that France shouldn’t rely on other countries for national protection and prosperity, withdrew the French military from NATO, and restored Franco-German relations.
The dissolution of the Soviet Union lessened tension in France leading to the reduction in their nuclear arsenal. Although nuclear threat went down, terrorism became more prevalent. To this day, terrorism in France remains a highly controversial topic. But when it does happen, the French remain strongly unified. Vive la France!
Or if watching videos is more your thing, check out Suibhne’s sum up of French history! It’s magnificent!:
And if you want to hear more about World War II, feel free to watch Eddie Izzard’s bit about it (he curses a lot):
Additional Reading:
http://www.expatica.com/fr/about/30-interesting-facts-about-France_109142.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_France
Your style is really unique compared to other people I have read stuff from. Many thanks for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this blog.
Appreciate you sharing, great article.Much thanks again. Much obliged.
Very neat blog article. Much obliged.
Spot on with this write-up, I absolutely believe this site needs far more attention. I’ll probably be back again to read more, thanks for the advice!
Saved as a favorite, I like your site!
Hey, thanks for the article post.Much thanks again. Fantastic.
Hi there! I could have sworn I’ve visited this blog before but after looking at some of the posts I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely pleased I discovered it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back regularly.
Lovely just what I was looking for. Thanks to the author for taking his clock time on this one.
Right here is the perfect website for anyone who really wants to understand this topic. You understand a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a brand new spin on a subject that’s been discussed for many years. Excellent stuff, just excellent.
This article actually helped me with a report I was doing.
This blog post is excellent, probably because of how well the subject was developed. I like some of the comments too though I could prefer we all stay on the subject in order add value to the subject!
Please let us know when you plan to publish your book!
[url=https://cheapviagra100mglowcost.monster/]generic viagra 10mg[/url] [url=https://celexa.fun/]how much is citalopram 40mg[/url] [url=https://cheapcialis20withoutprescription.quest/]cialis buy online cheap[/url] [url=https://bestviagra50tablet.monster/]sildenafil 20 mg brand name[/url] [url=https://viagrabuying.monster/]rx sildenafil[/url] [url=https://viagra150prescription.monster/]professional viagra[/url]
Thanks again for the blog article.Really thank you! Cool.
Nice read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing some research on that. And he just bought me lunch as I found it for him smile Therefore let me rephrase that: Thank you for lunch!
I blog frequently and I really thank you for your content. This great article has really peaked my interest. I’m going to take a note of your site and keep checking for new details about once a week. I subscribed to your Feed too.
Thanks for discussing the issues and covering them in a well written format.
I like meeting utile info, this post has got me even more info!
I really like your writing style, excellent info , thanks for putting up : D.
The clarity in your post is just nice and I can tell you are an expert in the subject matter.
This is valuable stuff.In my opinion, if all website owners and bloggers developed their content they way you have, the internet will be a lot more useful than ever before.
whoah this weblog is wonderful i like reading your articles. Keep up the good paintings! You already know, many people are looking around for this information, you can help them greatly.
Some truly nice stuff on this website , I like it.
When we look at these issues, we know that they are the key ones for our time.
Awesome post. It’s so good to see someone taking the time to share this information
[url=https://ordercialis40mgcost.monster/]can i buy real cialis online[/url] [url=https://gabapentin.click/]neurontin 300 mg tablet[/url] [url=https://provigil.today/]buy modafinil online pharmacy[/url]
[url=https://genericcialis10mgnoprescription.monster/]brand cialis 40 mg[/url]
[url=http://buyalbenza.com/]albenza albendazole[/url]
I think this is among the so much vital info for me. And i’m happy reading your article. But wanna remark on few common issues, The site style is wonderful, the articles is really excellent : D. Just right job, cheers
This blog post is excellent, probably because of how well the subject was developed. I like some of the comments too.
Wow, amazing blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your site is wonderful, let alone the content!
Its just like you read my thoughts! It’s like reading about my family.
[url=https://ordercialis5mg.monster/]how to get cialis prescription[/url]
Very good article post. Great.
[url=https://trazodone.business/]trazodone 50mg capsules[/url] [url=https://buycialis10mgpills.quest/]cialis generic online india[/url] [url=https://ordercialis5mg.monster/]cialis 100 mg[/url] [url=https://viagragenericpillsforsaleonline.quest/]male viagra[/url] [url=https://ordervardenafil.online/]buy vardenafil 40 mg[/url] [url=https://kamagra.run/]kamagra oral jelly buy online india[/url] [url=https://genericviagra100mgwithoutrx.quest/]buy real viagra online india[/url] [url=https://ordercialis40mgcost.monster/]can you buy cialis without a prescription[/url]
The post is absolutely fantastic! Lots of great info and inspiration, both of which we all need! Also like to admire the time and effort you put into your website and detailed info you offer! I will bookmark your website!
Can I just say what a relief to seek out someone who actually knows what theyre speaking about on the internet. You positively know find out how to bring a problem to mild and make it important. Extra individuals have to read this and perceive this side of the story. I cant believe youre not more in style because you positively have the gift.
I really enjoy the blog post.Really thank you!
[url=http://cialistabwithnorx.monster/]tadalafil 20mg mexico[/url]
[url=http://cheapcialistabletsorder.monster/]generic cialis for sale in usa[/url]
Easily, the post is really the greatest on this laudable topic. I concur with your conclusions and will thirstily look forward to your future updates. Saying thank will not just be sufficient, for the wonderful c lucidity in your writing. I will instantly grab your rss feed to stay privy of any updates. Solid work and much success in your business enterprise!
[url=http://cheapviagra200mgprice.quest/]prescription generic viagra[/url]
Hey very cool site!! Man .. Beautiful .. Amazing .. I will bookmark your website and take the feeds also…I’m happy to find so many useful information here in the post, we need develop more strategies in this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .
[url=http://cheapviagra50mgtablet.quest/]can i buy viagra from canada[/url]
Hiya, I am really glad I have found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and net stuff and this is actually frustrating.
If most people wrote about this subject with the eloquence that you just did, I’m sure people would do much more than just read, they act. Great stuff here. Please keep it up.
Nevertheless, it’s all carried out with tongues rooted solidly in cheeks, and everybody has got nothing but absolutely love for their friendly neighborhood scapegoat. In reality, he is not merely a pushover. He is simply that extraordinary breed of person solid enough to take all that good natured ribbing for what it really is.
Good day! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and say I really enjoy reading through your articles. Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the same subjects? Thanks a lot!
[url=http://anafranil.cfd/]anafranil 25 drug[/url]
My issues have been very similar, with my family. But, we made some different decisions. It’s complex.