History of French Wars

[XASA]

With all the hyperbole lately on the forum, I'd thought I'd lighten it up a bit with this humorous link on France's military history :P

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/text/france.html

[andrew45c]

The french just cant win can they unlike the british who have never lost a war altough they tied in The War Of independance but this was because of being vastly outnumbered by americans then the french jumped in the english thought **** it and left.

[He219]

andrew45c wrote:
The french just cant win can they unlike the british who have never lost a war

1453 – The French defeat the English at the battle of Castillon, ending the Hundred Years' War with Calais the only English possession on the continent.

The British didn't tie in the Revolutionary War (http://www.almc.army.mil/alog/issues/SepOct99/MS409.htm), they lost!

What about the Dutch raid on the English fleet at Chatham, June 17, 1667
and the Results of the First, Second and Third Anglo-Dutch Wars?

How about a second thrashing by the Americans in 1812?

What about the Afghan Wars and the First Boer War?

I'm sure there are others. Britain has been around for quite a while.....


;)
He219

[digitalghost]

They got slaughtered in "We Were Soldiers" at the first part did you see that? THe french guy was like "Plucking Heat! Plucking Grass!" then BOOM! They got ambushed and the dude stole his musical instrument-- Trumpet perhaps? hahahaha---

OK Its time to laugh at digital ghost----- IF YOU LAUGH AT ME I WILL HAUNT YOU AT NIGHT--- YOU "AINT SAFE" NOWHERE

[Nawlins]

Uhh... threats are probably not a good plan. :cantbeli:

[digitalghost]

no really i can haunt people just watch tonight lie in your bed in the darkness and you will fear me- be afriad be very afriad

[cut]

that site was posted here before, and the jokes a bit worn now.

as for what andrew said wishful thinking. the brits lost the war for american independence in very similar circumstances to how the US lost in Vietnam. Except we lost to people we had trained to our high standards. :P The sad thing about the war in the US was that it was between cousins initially over something very little.

[He219]

Something very little???? Take a look at this.... (http://www.archives.gov/exhibit_hall/charters_of_freedom/declaration/declaration_transcription.html)

"The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people."

[Duke]

.... the brits lost the war for american independence in very similar circumstances to how the US lost in Vietnam. Except we lost to people we had trained to our high standards....
The British for fact did not train the American colonialist militias. The vast bulk were back woods types who learned shooting by hunting and military tactics from Native Americans. The American Revolution was won, in part, by unconventional tactics. It was the only way American could have won. If we employed the standard static tactics of that era, the Brits would kicked our ases. BTW, George Washington wasn't a grad of Sandhurst.

[cut]

.... the brits lost the war for american independence in very similar circumstances to how the US lost in Vietnam. Except we lost to people we had trained to our high standards....
The British for fact did not train the American colonialist militias. The vast bulk were back woods types who learned shooting by hunting and military tactics from Native Americans. The American Revolution was won, in part, by unconventional tactics. It was the only way American could have won. If we employed the standard static tactics of that era, the Brits would kicked our ases. BTW, George Washington wasn't a grad of Sandhurst.

You're right about the unconventional tactics, hence the comparison with vietnam.


I meant in the very begining like at bunker hill, many of the americans had fought along side the british against the french in the 9 year war.

as to He219; the initial dispute was very trivial, to do with taxes which would have been resolved. the whole "the king is a tyrant" is and was exagerated, after all americans where british settlers, borthers and cousins.

At the start of it all was a demostration, in which in much the same way as recently in iraq protesters were shot in the panic, this was publicised as cold blooded murder. one of those killed was even reported to be white instead of african american for better impact.

[Canuck Farrier]

andrew45c wrote:


1453 – The French defeat the English at the battle of Castillon, ending the Hundred Years' War with Calais the only English possession on the continent.

The British didn't tie in the Revolutionary War (http://www.almc.army.mil/alog/issues/SepOct99/MS409.htm), they lost!

What about the Dutch raid on the English fleet at Chatham, June 17, 1667
and the Results of the First, Second and Third Anglo-Dutch Wars?

How about a second thrashing by the Americans in 1812?

What about the Afghan Wars and the First Boer War?

I'm sure there are others. Britain has been around for quite a while.....


;)
He219

"a thrashing in 1812" America invades canada .America loses and retreats.we wonwoot read your history more carefully

[oldsoak]

Hmm - this p*ss take of the French is getting boring. Every country thats ever ventured outside its borders has had its share of victories and defeats. The French were responsible for a helluva lot of military science and innovation, and their troops are as good as the next mans.

[sp2c]

first anglo-dutch war was a draw though with both nation's having beaten eachothers respective fleets to a pulp
The Dutch fleets were beaten back to their ports (the Brittish goal) and the brits had to give up their blockade (the Dutch goal)

we did win the second one (ending with De Ruyter's spectacular raid on Chatham) and as a Dutchmen I also claim victory in the third one but that's up for debate ... we lost the fourth one by a mile though :(

[gaz]

"a thrashing in 1812" America invades canada .America loses and retreats.we wonwoot read your history more carefully

Are you f*cking sh*tting me? Resurrecting a three year old thread to add that?

[Freibier]

Steuben and semi-prussian discipline&training won the revolutionary war!

[muede]

The french just cant win can they unlike the british who have never lost a war altough they tied in The War Of independance but this was because of being vastly outnumbered by americans then the french jumped in the english thought **** it and left.
Suez, Yemen, theres few more of these glorious "victories" for you britts, futhermore, you ultimately lost all of your empire yourselfs had you had the strenght you would have kept it, but the nation emerged from 2 rate and poor nation from ww2 almost bankrupt, also at point wasnt most of the pathetic island subject to Roman empire? :)

[Alan]

A perfect counter to that moronic list of bull****....

http://www.exile.ru/2003-October-02/war_nerd.html

[oldsoak]

Suez, Yemen, theres few more of these glorious "victories" for you britts, futhermore, you ultimately lost all of your empire yourselfs had you had the strenght you would have kept it, but the nation emerged from 2 rate and poor nation from ww2 almost bankrupt, also at point wasnt most of the pathetic island subject to Roman empire? :)

The Romans conquered most of the known world, - except Scotland, so no Suprise there. Considering the size of the Uk, I dont think we did too badly. Canada, Australia, NZ, USA and countless other colonies - were all started by us. If we disappeared tomorrow, the language of the net would still be English, the governments of quite a few states would still be based on the British parlimentary system as would their legal system. Not bad for a little island on the edge of Europe.

[Bandeirante]

THE FRANCE ANTARCTIQUE 1555-1560






In the 1550s, the area from Cabo Frio to Rio de Janeiro was under French rather than Portuguese control.



For about five years, between 1555 and 1560, the French maintained a base on a little island in the Bay of Guanabara (Rio de Janeiro): Fort Coligny.
The Calvinist Nicolas Durand de Villegagnon was sent in Brazil in 1555 in order to materialise the French presence there. On 14 August 1555, with three ships, 600 sailors and colons, he sailed to Brazil.
The French expedition arrived on 10-15 November 1555, in the Bay of Guanabara and landed on a desert island, today Villegagnon island.
Here Fort Coligny was built and good relations were established with an adjoining Indian village.
The members of this first expedition were mainly Bretons and Normans and they were fairly subdivided between Catholics and Protestants.
A short time later, on 7 March 1556, arrived a second expedition of three ships and 190 men.
The colony had good view of development, but the hard and intolerant rule of Villegagnon stopped the promising growth of the colony.
Villegagnon's oppressive rule, obliged a large number of colons to leave the colony. Among others, some Huguenots returned to France, where their reports caused an expedition of 700-800 colonists to be abandoned.
In 1559, Villegagnon also returned to France, leaving the command of the colony to his nephew Bois-le-Comte.
Portugal not disposed to tolerate the French presence in his possessions, sent an expedition of 120 Portuguese and 1.000 Indians, under the command of Mem de Sá, General Governor of Brazil (1558-1570), that on 16 March 1560, after two days and two nights of savage engagement, destroyed the French colony. The surviving 70 Frenchmen and their 800 Indian allies, demoralised, abandoned the fort and sheltered among other Indians.
Like W.J. Eccles writes in his book "France in America": "For a century, French traders had challenged the Portuguese hold on this vast region, with little or no aid from the Crown. But for religious dissension at Rio de Janeiro, and the unfortunate character of Villegagnon, France rather than Portugal might well have established a vast empire in South America."




IBIAPABA 1590-1604




In 1590, under the command of Adolf Montbille, a French expedition settled in Ibiapaba (Viçosa-Cearà), here the Frenchmen established a settlement and a fort, and they traded "pau brazil" with the Indios that were settled in the vicinity of the French trading station. The French stayed here in peace with the natives for about 14 years, but in 1604 a Portuguese expedition under Pero Coelho attacked the settlement and, after a fierce battle, forced the Frenchmen to surrender.




SÃO LUIS DO MARANHÃO 1612-1615




On 19 March 1612, three French ships left from the French port of Canacale to Maranhão. These ships were the "Regent" under the command of Rasilly and La Ravardière, the "Charlotte" under the command of the Baron de Sancy and the "Sainte-Anne".
On 24 June, the ships arrived in the island of Fernando de Noronha (http://www.colonialvoyage.com/viaggi/brazilfernando.html) where they stayed until July 8. Here they found one Portuguese and 17 or 18 Indian slaves. All were removed to Maranhão.
On 29 July, the French landed in the island "Pequena do Maranhão", which was found deserted. This island was named by the French Ile de Sainte-Anne. From here the French moved to the island "Grande do Maranhão" where they found some ships from Dieppe and Le Havre with 400 Frenchmen that were trading with the Indians. Here the Capuchins built the convent of Sainte Françoise and near it a fort, named Fort Saint-Louis, was also built.
On 20 December 1612, the missionary chapel was inaugurated.
Here the French lived in peace for nearly two years.
In 1613, the leaders of the settlements resolved to return to France in search of reinforcements. After some attempts at the Court, they succeeded to prepare a reinforcement expedition. In Easter 1614, the ship "Regent" with 300 Frenchmen left to Maranhão. On 14 June, the ship passed in front to the Portuguese fort of Ceará, and on 18 June the expedition arrived at "Buraco das Tartarugas" or Jaracoará where there were another Portuguese fort.
Despite the obstacles, he French reinforcements arrived unharmed in Maranhão.
Owing to the continuous presence of French ships in the area, the Portuguese built several forts to control the coast with the purpose to stop the French on their trading. In 1611 or 1612, the Portuguese had found the fort of Ceará, named Nossa Senhora do Amparo; in August 1613, they also found the fort of Jaracoará, named Nossa Senhora do Rosário.
On 26 October 1614, a Portuguese force of 500 men (Portuguese and Indians), arrived on terra-firma near the French settlements, with the intent of driving the French out.
The Portuguese encamped in Guaxenduba and there they built a fortified camp, called Forte de Santa Maria.
The French of Maranhão, being superior in number, decided to take the initiative and on 19 November 1614, with 7 ships, 50 guns and strong of 200 Frenchmen and 1.500 Indios attacked the Portuguese fort. The attack was, however, an overwhelming defeat for the French.
On 27 November 1614, a one-year armistice was signed, with the purpose to permit the Kings of France and Spain to settle the issues diplomatically. It was also decided to sent Portuguese and French emissaries to Europe to explain the question.
So, on 16 December 1614, the ship "Regent", left to Europe with on board the Portuguese and French emissaries. The results of this mission are not well known. However, reinforcements for Maranhão never arrived from France.
Meanwhile, on 1 November 1615, a Portuguese fleet of 9 ships and several hundred men, under the command of Alexandre de Moura, arrived in front of the French settlements.
The Portuguese landed in the island "Grande do Maranhão" and entrenched themselves on the promontory of São Francisco. The fortification was named "Quartel de São Francisco. France left the region


http://www.colonialvoyage.com/frenchbrazil.html
By Marco Ramerini

Duguay-Trouin, René, 1673-1736, French privateer and naval officer. A member of a Breton family of shipowners, he became (1689) a privateer and was given command of a vessel in 1691. His bravery, the respect he won from his men, and his successes against the English and the Dutch in the wars of King Louis XIV caused him to rise rapidly in command. By 1709 he was reported to have captured 300 merchantmen and 20 warships or privateers. In 1711, in the War of the Spanish Succession, he captured Rio de Janeiro after an 11-day bombardment and forced the city to pay a heavy ransom. As a reward for his services Duguay-Trouin was ennobled by Louis XIV in 1709 and commissioned a lieutenant general in 1728. He left memoirs.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e372/Babitonga/rio-janeiro-1711-2000px.gif
Map http://www.1675-1725.historicum.net/index/folios/rio-janeiro-1711.html

Napoleonic Wars

France invaded Portugal in 1808, the Royal Family came to Brazil and as a consequence brazilians invaded French Guiana in 1809. Only in 1817 a diplomatic treaty gave it back to France.

There was also a mini-war between brazilians in Amapá and France in 1895. Brazil got the disputed territory.

[sp2c]

The Romans conquered most of the known world, - except Scotland, so no Suprise there. Considering the size of the Uk, I dont think we did too badly. Canada, Australia, NZ, USA and countless other colonies - were all started by us. If we disappeared tomorrow, the language of the net would still be English, the governments of quite a few states would still be based on the British parlimentary system as would their legal system. Not bad for a little island on the edge of Europe.
they didn't get us neither!!

well they didn't get upriver ... and nobody lives there (even to this day I think!) but still :)

and our parlimentary and legal systems are our own!

[Eddy]

With all the hyperbole lately on the forum, I'd thought I'd lighten it up a bit with this humorous link on France's military history :P

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/text/france.html

What i find absolutely amazing about people who bash french people is that they are completely stupid, not funny and not original at all.

They come with links, pictures or one liners that have been seen everywhere else and act like they're the first to deliver it

[DeltaWhisky58]

If someone PMs me with a sensible/viable reason why this flame-war in the making should continue, I may just consider re-opening it, until then ... ...