The Perfect Soldier: Special Operations, Commandos, and the Future of Us Warfare by James F. Dunnigan
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Dirty Little Secrets
The REAL Military Record of France
by Harold C. Hutchison
March 31, 2005
Discussion Board on this DLS topic
France's military reputation has taken a beating over the last three years due
to their attitudes towards Iraq and American foreign policy. Part of the
American reaction is to disparage French military ability. Whether or not this
attitude towards France is deserved is up for debate. A famous website, set up
as a “Google bomb,” so that when one searches for French military victories and
hits the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button, takes potshots at France, particularly
citing the twentieth century. But the REAL story is much different.
First
of all, the Battle of the Virginia Capes, from September 5-9, 1781 was an
unambiguous win for France. This is important for Americans to keep in mind –
this was the battle that sealed the fate of the British garrison at Yorktown
(and thus American independence). So, France has achieved victory at least once,
and it mattered big time for the United States.
In the 20th Century, the
French record is also much better than some people would lead a person to
believe. In World War I, the French did not fold up. If anything, the French
carried a lot of the burden of the ground war from 1914-1917, halting the German
invasion at the Marne. The French also outfought the Germans at Verdun in 1916,
holding the line against a vigorous German offensive.
In 1918, the French
forces took part in major offensives in the Balkans and in France itself. Both
of those were victories. This came after France played a major part in repelling
the powerful 1918 offensive by Germany. In other words, the French did their
fair share in World War I. Only natural, since France was where most of the
fighting occurred. It was Marshal Ferdinand Foch (commanding French Forces in
the Second Battle of Marne) who said, “My center is giving way, I cannot move.
Situation excellent, I shall attack.”
In World War II, France is often
judged by the 1940 German offensive. This is unfair in some aspects. France had
3 armored divisions – Germany had 10, which was a decisive edge in one of the
earliest mechanized campaigns in history. After France surrendered, Free French
forces took part in the African battles, and played major roles in Operation
Dragoon (the landings in southern France in August, 1944). The French also
carried out the liberation of Strasbourg, and took part in the final defeat of
Nazi Germany.
Since World War II, France has taken part in the 1956 Suez
War, which was a military victory. France only backed off due to political
pressure from the United States and USSR. France also did not lose the Algerian
War of Independence from 1954-1962 on any battlefield, but instead in terms of
politics. The only real loss was the Indochina War, which was highlighted by the
Battle of Dien Bien Phu.
France today has a reasonably capable military
(they operate the only CVN outside the
United States Navy, and the Rafale is
one of the best combat aircraft in service at the present time). French forces
recently carried out a brilliant operation in Cote d’Ivoire, in which aircraft,
that had launched attacks on UN peacekeepers, were quickly and efficiently
destroyed.
France has, in these wars, lost as many as two million killed
in action. Far more often than not, France has won major battles in the past
century, and in some cases, paid a dear price to do so. French military forces
have gotten a bit of a bum rap as a result of the weasel-like positions of
certain French political leaders.
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