Which just proves the old saying about winning the battle and loosing the war

I was not aware that French lost the First World War either - Compiegne car on the 11 November 11 hours 1918? We all celebrate this date till now. The key figure - Marechal Ferdinand Foch...Sure - 22 years later they lost the war again, but not the same war.
Cheers!
z

quote:

Originally posted by dennis40x:

No French Fleet no Yorktown!

You don't really believe that the French would have been there if they didn't have anything to gain do you?

Smitty

France doesn't give a dang about American, just our money and blood. I will buy something that say's China on it before I would france.

Later - John

So yes, we need to salute Admiral DeGrasse and Lafayette and the Frenchmen who came with them. Especially on Friday

And also remember that France is between Germany, Spain, and England. And a few other slightly less belligerent folks, at least these days. Although the Italians were a bit fiesty a long time ago.

We are between Mexico and Canada.

Vive la difference.

The French were very tough until the 1930's when the French right wing and left wing parties so hated each other that they each preferred the Germans to the internal opposition. May we never come to that. The WWII French Soldier was grossly underpaid even by contemporary standards and had to work after duty to make ends meet if they had families. Every major French train station had a detox area for drunk soldiers to sleep off the booze on their way back to duty. Morale was non-existent, desertion rampant, and the longing for leave and self preservation rather than die for a dubious, unpopular, fractured government made offensive action all but impossible.

Having been bled white in WWI, the French determined at all costs to never make the same mistake again. Unfortunately they failed to understand that the adversary might want to fight even if they did not. In avoiding war they became involved and lost. Many French units fought well despite the disadvantages noted by Rick.

The French Army was so badly mauled at one period (1917?)during WWI that there was an instances of munity. For a period of time it was understood that certain French Army units would defend but not attack.

Don't forget that our most popular symbol of liberty, THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, was a gift to the people of the United States of America from France. They have a smaller version of the statue in Paris.

quote:

The French were a very important ally for us and a key component in the British surrender at Yorktown.

True, and I am grateful for their help, but that was a very different France that the one we incessantly insult now.

Todd

The French make good toast.

quote:

Originally posted by Quarter Cherokee:
The French make good toast.

They also make good waffles.

Smitty

The French paid a huge price for the defense of their country in WWI. They battled the Germans on their own soil for five years, and had almost 6 million killed or wounded from a population of only 40 million.

That same rate would equal 45 million of the current US population.

I don't support a lot of their politics, but I can certainly understand why they were ill prepared for WWII only twenty years later.

I like the Barbary pirate senario. French solution: let's throw money at them to leave us alone. American solution: let's kick their asses. I am aware that the French have fought a few good battles and I'm not putting down the bravery of Frenchmen who actually decided to fight, but as a whole they are cheese eating surrender monkies.

quote:

Originally posted by NCTexan:

I don't support a lot of their politics, but I can certainly understand why they were ill prepared for WWII only twenty years later.

The German's were devastated during WWI also but with in 20 years they rebuilt and damn near took over the world.
If it hadn't been for Hitler's drug use they probably would have.

Smitty

If it hadn't been for Hitler's drug use they probably would have.

Smitty[/QUOTE]


Thanks God for Dr Morell...