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(Ignorant) English people absolutely make jokes about the French being militarily incompetent and prone to surrender, in the face of significant evidence[0] - "

by scubbo 4y ago

(Ignorant) English people absolutely make jokes about the French being militarily incompetent and prone to surrender, in the face of significant evidence[0] - "France is the most successful military power in history". Source: am English, am attempting to become decreasingly ignorant over time. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_France https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_France EDIT: Wait, crap, I forgot Brexit. I guess your statement remains _technically_ incorrect, since England is in (the continent of) Europe but not in the EU.

deleted 4y ago
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panick21_ 4y ago
Claiming its the most successful in history is nonsense. France was the most populated and richest country in Europe for a very long time. Despite this, what one could consider natural French territory, Belgium and Netherland France never managed to hold for a significant amount of time. And then they decisively lost the global great power struggle against Britain despite France being much richer and having larger population. France is constrained by pretty natural frontier boarders that when looking the Medieval Kingdom of 1223 and modern day France, it doesn't seem like its the most amazing achievement. Specially considering its German neighbors, for 1000 years were far more fractured, and France never managed to really take full advantage of that situation.
- brnt 4y ago
  > Despite this, what one could consider natural French territory, Belgium and Netherland What's natural about this? Those countries had been fendong off occupyers for centuries by the time the French made any serious progress during Napoleon. If you're refering to the Rhine/Maas delta, after the Roman empire it never was a (significant) border again, at least not in the Netherlands.
  - panick21_ 4y ago
    > What's natural about this? Where is the center of power of the French crown? And then measure how far away the lowlands are. The French kings have been struggling to control Flanders for literally more the 1000 years. Given how much larger and richer France was, and how incredibly valuable that land is, the most successful military in history should have managed it. > Those countries had been fendong off occupyers for centuries Yes but if they had been opposed by the best military in history then they shouldn't have been able to.

by scubbo 4y ago

deleted 4y ago

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panick21_ 4y ago

Claiming its the most successful in history is nonsense. France was the most populated and richest country in Europe for a very long time. Despite this, what one could consider natural French territory, Belgium and Netherland France never managed to hold for a significant amount of time. And then they decisively lost the global great power struggle against Britain despite France being much richer and having larger population. France is constrained by pretty natural frontier boarders that when looking the Medieval Kingdom of 1223 and modern day France, it doesn't seem like its the most amazing achievement. Specially considering its German neighbors, for 1000 years were far more fractured, and France never managed to really take full advantage of that situation.

brnt 4y ago
> Despite this, what one could consider natural French territory, Belgium and Netherland What's natural about this? Those countries had been fendong off occupyers for centuries by the time the French made any serious progress during Napoleon. If you're refering to the Rhine/Maas delta, after the Roman empire it never was a (significant) border again, at least not in the Netherlands.
- panick21_ 4y ago
  > What's natural about this? Where is the center of power of the French crown? And then measure how far away the lowlands are. The French kings have been struggling to control Flanders for literally more the 1000 years. Given how much larger and richer France was, and how incredibly valuable that land is, the most successful military in history should have managed it. > Those countries had been fendong off occupyers for centuries Yes but if they had been opposed by the best military in history then they shouldn't have been able to.