What WARS has France won?

[mountainhare]

I don't deny that France has won some brilliant battles in its history, but what wars has France won?

The only ones I can think of are the Hundred Year War and WWI (and when Charles Martel whipped the Moors, if that counts as a war).

It's just odd that in the majority of wars you hear about, France got its ass whooped, or it was a draw.

Of course, this doesn't make sense, since France controlled quite a large amount of territory at one stage. It must have gained that territory in battle... somehow.

[Redline]

Ww1, Ww2,...

[Communist Hamster]

with the help of Britain, America, Poland and the USSR

[mathman]

Charles Martel was a leader of the Franks - France did not come into existence (separate from Germany, etc) until about 100 years later.

France did eventually beat England in the hundred years war. During the days of Louis XIV, France fought many wars - in general they ended in some sort of treaty where it is not clear who won. For example, War of the Spanish Succession, a son of Loius XIV became king of Spain, but the French and Spanish crowns were not allowed to unite. During the American revolution France was on the winning (American) side. The Crimean war was Britain and France against Russia - Russia lost.

[candy]

The Culture War. Especially the battle of fine food and drink.

[Hapsburg]

The only ones I can think of are the Hundred Year War

That was more a draw.

and WWI

With a lot of help from Britain, ANZAC, America, and Russia.

(and when Charles Martel whipped the Moors, if that counts as a war).

That was the FRANKS not the FRENCH. The Franks were a germanic tribe that, over time, bred with the local gallic populace to create the French.

Napoleonic wars, maybe, except the last two of them. Remember, it was multiple wars, not just one long 'un, for that one.

[spidergoat]

They won their own revolution.

[invert_nexus]

The Culture War. Especially the battle of fine food and drink.

Yum. Snails. Or how about a hundred dollar a plate where the plate has a couple of carrots and some sauce in a pretty design? Fuck French cuisine. Fuck it up its slimy snail-covered asshole.

They won their own revolution.

They lost it too...

[kenworth]

They won their own revolution.

then they lost again.they won against the romans in the end didnt they?or are we talking about france since it was named france?

[Ophiolite]

The War of The European Union Agricultural Subsidy.

[mountainhare]

Hapsburg:

That was more a draw.

The French kicked the English off their land. That sounds like a victory, to me.

With a lot of help from Britain, ANZAC, America, and Russia.

The French took the brunt of the fighting... they were smack bang in the front line. If it wasn't for the French, there would have been no war for Britain, ANZAC, the U.S, and Russia to fight.

[savior-of-hyrule]

The Crimean war

[Killjoy]

`


If you want to stretch it a bit and call William the Conqueror French, then France beat England pretty righteously, since Bill proceeded to take over the joint.

LoL



Of course, since I believe Saxons were running Britannia at that point, he really conquered Germans...



Although...

Since he was technically descended from sorta kinda Germanic stock himself, It was really a case of Germans conquering other Germans...



Still...

If you subscribe to my pet whack-assed theory that the Vikings were really just Polacks who moved North into Scandinavia, then Poland actually conquered France and England...


nyuk, nyuk, nyuk, nyuk....

[Hapsburg]

Hapsburg:

The French kicked the English off their land. That sounds like a victory, to me.

After getting Faceplanted for 100 years. I'd call it a draw since, up until the last few years, they were losing badly.

The French took the brunt of the fighting... they were smack bang in the front line. If it wasn't for the French, there would have been no war for Britain, ANZAC, the U.S, and Russia to fight.

Yet, they still needed the help of Russia, anzac, and Britain to WIN.

[Killjoy]

`
oops...


I forgot...

Since the French were Germans to begin with, then Poland really conquered Germany, and since the English were Germans by then, Poland actually conquered Germany again, but since the Vikings had conquered England already some time back, Poland actually just conquered Poland.

LoL

[Hapsburg]

That's if you cut into just germans and poles...but doesn't that seem a bit nazistic?

[Killjoy]

`
Oh - heck, yeah...

I'm just being silly.

[mountainhare]

Hapsburg:

After getting Faceplanted for 100 years. I'd call it a draw since, up until the last few years, they were losing badly.

Irrelevant. You can lose almost every piece on the chess board, but as long as you get your opponent in checkmate, you win.

The French kicked the English off their land. They may have lost many battles, but in the end they won the war. Calling it a draw 'because the British won more battles' is absurd, and not giving credit where credit is due. The British lost their French land and scuttled off home to the British Isles. Turning your tail and fleeing for good is a funny way of achieving a 'draw'.

Yet, they still needed the help of Russia, anzac, and Britain to WIN.

And Germany didn't have allies? So if you are to be a true victor, you must fight alone?

The fact of the matter is that the French took the brunt of the fighting in WWI, hence it is only fair to give them the largest share of acknowledgement for the victory.

[Ophiolite]

Mountain Hare let us be clear on this. The only French land the British held at that time was Brittany. The english Normans (with their anglo saxon long bowmen) lost their French land to the french Normans (with their Gaullish pikemen). The British had long been forced to the extremities of their land by invasions of Jutes, Angles, Saxons and other assorted Europeans. So only Brittany (see the name) was held by the British - and still is.

[River Ape]

In answer to your original question, mountainhare, if you had to pick THE war from which France emerged victorious, it would have to be that complex series of engagements known as the THIRTY YEARS WAR, which ended with the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648.

It was at this time that France emerged as THE Great Power in Europe, with the power of Spain eclipsed, with Central Europe devastated by war, famine and disease, and with the Hapsburgs defeated and cut down to size. France would remain the pre-eminent power in Europe until the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.