Let us discuss France.

When it comes to French history, people like to talk about Napoleon, Charlemagne, and wierdo Gallic tribes fighting Romans....screw that....French history STARTS with the end of Napoleon if you ask me. The Third Republic has to be the most interesting democratic experiment in the history of the world. The bizarre dictatorship of Napoleon III? Vichy? Algeria? Monet and Manet? The Cold War? 1968? Stavisky? Poincare? Mistinguette? Panama Canal? Robert Delauney? Fashoda? Boulangism? Patrice MacMahon? Lumiere brothers?

French history is ridiculously interesting. I propose we have a frank discussion on it. What aspect would you care to discuss?

the theory of my first semester contemporary history teacher is that from 1789 to the "union sacrée" of 1914, France was in a permanent state of civil war...

I'm taking a photography class, and we just went through the photography history chapter. Most of the innovation was done by Frenchmen. Niépce, Daguerre, Disderi, de Hauron, all French. Talbot and Eastman were English and American, of course, but almost everyone else involved in creating the new medium were French.

from 1789 to the "union sacrée" of 1914, France was in a permanent state of civil war...

I think that ignores all the externally motivated changes. The deposing of both emperors (and thus the formation of the third republic) and the short lived restoration of the Bourbons were all forced upon France by foreign powers.

Fact is, both Napoleons could not forge a legitimacy, let alone an unanimity in France itself.

I think that ignores all the externally motivated changes. The deposing of both emperors (and thus the formation of the third republic) and the short lived restoration of the Bourbons were all forced upon France by foreign powers.

Eh?

I think France did a fair bit of 'forcing' on the rest of Europe during the revolutionary wars and then the Napoleonic wars.

You are right in that once the other powers had finally suppressed the french they did somewhat force a regime change.

how about their obsession with fashion and looking fancy (even in combat)... in 1912, the French Minister of War suggested that the French change their uniforms from bright colours to dull colours that blend in with the surroundings... The media however had a field day critizing him for being unpatriotic and demeaning french soldiers saying that taking their bright coloured uniforms away was an insult to their pride and nationality.. the minister of war (Messimy) wrote "That blind and imbecile attachment to the most visible of all colours will have cruel consequences".


At the battle of the Marne in 1914, the French 246th regiment had to cross an exposed plain in broad daylight... the French stood out so much with their bright red "pantalions" that the German soldiers who were 1,500 yards away had no trouble spotting and no trouble hitting them..The french also had their band playing, that month the French suffered 206, 515 casualties... the Belgians weren't very smart either... in 1914 their cavalry regiments wore green tunics and purple breeches :|

Newsflash to the French military: you guys are in combat not in some god damn fashion show put on by some dirty, horny Italian old man :|