Why are the French good at protesting but useless at war?
Discussion
Op needs to read a history book.
The French have shown bravery on the battlefield on countless occasions. They may not have triumphed on every occasion but they fought as good as any other nation.
You can raise a valid question mark over their leadership, both political and military, tactics used and the state of their equipment compared to the enemy but not the average fighting Pierre.
The Italians on the other hand...
The French have shown bravery on the battlefield on countless occasions. They may not have triumphed on every occasion but they fought as good as any other nation.
You can raise a valid question mark over their leadership, both political and military, tactics used and the state of their equipment compared to the enemy but not the average fighting Pierre.
The Italians on the other hand...
Watched this video recently, get to the end and see which nation has won the most battles in history - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK5OsDWYJmQ
AnotherClarkey said:
Threads like this are an embarrassment for our country.
I agree.OP in WW1 the French (as a % of population) lost twice as many as the UK and more than Germany itself (as a %). The battle of Verdun is not that well known in the UK but was the French WW1 equivalent of Stalin's WW2 Stalingrad.
I get the humour around the French surrendering lots etc but the facts speak for themselves. In WW1 the French made a much bigger sacrifice than the UK. In WW2 the UK would have fallen quicker than France had it not been for the channel (imho).
We have a UK centric view of these things. As a kid I thought the UK had won the second world war single handed, then I learnt the USA actually played a big part, then later I learnt Russia had an even big hand in the outcome!
steviegunn said:
Watched this video recently, get to the end and see which nation has won the most battles in history - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK5OsDWYJmQ
That was interesting but doesn't tell the full picture. Surely instead of absolute numbers of battles won it should be a % of battles taken part in. If I was a boxer and boasted I had won 50 fights that may sound good. But if I said I had been in 10,000 fights then it is a bit poor. Bad statistics can be used to argue anything at all.Still a really interesting link thanks.
Derek Smith said:
The Mad Monk said:
For Sale:-
One genuine French army rifle. Only thrown down twice.
That's a bit pathetic.One genuine French army rifle. Only thrown down twice.
(I'm only teasing, humour is a personal thing, I worked somewhere years ago where everyone had to stop telling jokes because a woman, in a group of people being told a joke, complained to HR and that was that. )
steviegunn said:
Watched this video recently, get to the end and see which nation has won the most battles in history - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK5OsDWYJmQ
brilliant link, informative and weirdly entrancing, thanks for sharing.MikeStroud said:
The battle of Verdun is not that well known in the UK but was the French WW1 equivalent of Stalin's WW2 Stalingrad.
But that wasn't always the case. Despite the negligable involvement of the British (a single field ambulance I believe), the Battle left such an impression, that over 20 years after the event, Battle Babies were still being named. Battle Babies refers to a generation who were named after significant events. Between 1914 and 1919, 1600 British babies were named after battles, 900 of those named after Verdun. Verdun has gone down as the bloodiest batter in WW1 per square yard, mostly hand to hand combat. But no babies named after Gallipoli. Obviously, Verdun had captured the imagination and admiration by the British public, particularly in working class communities, in a way that has been lost by today's generation, extolled by the OP.
Raygun said:
JensenA said:
What ridiculous xenophobic statement to start a thread! The French protest because, unlike we British who are too sheepish and scared to protest, they actually have the courage to stand up for what they believe in.
They turn 'yellow' on the battlefield? What battlefield would that be? WWII? That one 76 years ago, where the mighty British Army of about 400,000 men, in only a matter of weeks, were forced back in retreat to Dunkirk, and left the French to fend for themselves.
What a load of crap.They turn 'yellow' on the battlefield? What battlefield would that be? WWII? That one 76 years ago, where the mighty British Army of about 400,000 men, in only a matter of weeks, were forced back in retreat to Dunkirk, and left the French to fend for themselves.
They were up the Germans arse when they overrun their country grassing Jewish people up which ended with little children goiing to the death camps.
Always have been and always will be a load of w
kers.
Raygun said:
JensenA said:
What ridiculous xenophobic statement to start a thread! The French protest because, unlike we British who are too sheepish and scared to protest, they actually have the courage to stand up for what they believe in.
They turn 'yellow' on the battlefield? What battlefield would that be? WWII? That one 76 years ago, where the mighty British Army of about 400,000 men, in only a matter of weeks, were forced back in retreat to Dunkirk, and left the French to fend for themselves.
What a load of crap.They turn 'yellow' on the battlefield? What battlefield would that be? WWII? That one 76 years ago, where the mighty British Army of about 400,000 men, in only a matter of weeks, were forced back in retreat to Dunkirk, and left the French to fend for themselves.
They were up the Germans arse when they overrun their country grassing Jewish people up which ended with little children goiing to the death camps.
Always have been and always will be a load of w
kers.MikeStroud said:
It was a joke. Please don't go out in public where you might meet people who tell jokes :-)
(I'm only teasing, humour is a personal thing, I worked somewhere years ago where everyone had to stop telling jokes because a woman, in a group of people being told a joke, complained to HR and that was that. )
Arcadia ?(I'm only teasing, humour is a personal thing, I worked somewhere years ago where everyone had to stop telling jokes because a woman, in a group of people being told a joke, complained to HR and that was that. )
S'funny, would never have really considered that before, even though it's what he FFL is 'famous' for.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Foreign_Legio...
As of 2008, legionnaires came from 140 countries. The majority of enlisted men originate from outside France, while the majority of the officer corps consists of Frenchmen. Many recruits originate from Eastern Europe and Latin America. Neil Tweedie of The Daily Telegraph said that Germany traditionally provided many recruits, "somewhat ironically given the Legion's bloody role in two world wars." He added that "Brits, too, have played their part, but there was embarrassment recently when it emerged that many British applicants were failing selection due to endemic unfitness."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Foreign_Legio...
As of 2008, legionnaires came from 140 countries. The majority of enlisted men originate from outside France, while the majority of the officer corps consists of Frenchmen. Many recruits originate from Eastern Europe and Latin America. Neil Tweedie of The Daily Telegraph said that Germany traditionally provided many recruits, "somewhat ironically given the Legion's bloody role in two world wars." He added that "Brits, too, have played their part, but there was embarrassment recently when it emerged that many British applicants were failing selection due to endemic unfitness."
Halb said:
S'funny, would never have really considered that before, even though it's what he FFL is 'famous' for.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Foreign_Legio...
As of 2008, legionnaires came from 140 countries. The majority of enlisted men originate from outside France, while the majority of the officer corps consists of Frenchmen. Many recruits originate from Eastern Europe and Latin America. Neil Tweedie of The Daily Telegraph said that Germany traditionally provided many recruits, "somewhat ironically given the Legion's bloody role in two world wars." He added that "Brits, too, have played their part, but there was embarrassment recently when it emerged that many British applicants were failing selection due to endemic unfitness."
I knew a former US Marine who failed the test. He said it was brutal (took place in the desert) and made his training look relatively easy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Foreign_Legio...
As of 2008, legionnaires came from 140 countries. The majority of enlisted men originate from outside France, while the majority of the officer corps consists of Frenchmen. Many recruits originate from Eastern Europe and Latin America. Neil Tweedie of The Daily Telegraph said that Germany traditionally provided many recruits, "somewhat ironically given the Legion's bloody role in two world wars." He added that "Brits, too, have played their part, but there was embarrassment recently when it emerged that many British applicants were failing selection due to endemic unfitness."
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