French military victories?

Armed conflicts in the history of humanity from the ancient times to the 20th Century.
Bgile
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Re: French military victories?

Post by Bgile »

I think the Foreign Legion is involved in places from time to time that don't make the news worldwide. Sometimes they are successful in stabilizing a situation.
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Karl Heidenreich
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Re: French military victories?

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Yeah, fighting incredible trained and equipped enemies. In the 80ies they made a lot of fuss when deposing a loon called "Emperor Bokassa" (Jean Betel Bokassa). Or what about this: They even lost against the Mexicans and achieved to get their emperor shot as a mountain gangster. Losing against the Mexicans is quite a feat.

All of you know what I mean. After Wellington repelled the "Imperial Guard" (the crême de la crème) the French had never achieved a field victory against her foes, not even at Marne (which, by the way, was not considered even a battle by the guy who was supposed to had won it: Gallieni). Let`s not forget Somme or the Maginot...
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Karl Heidenreich
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Re: French military victories?

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Let`s remember what Donald Rummsfeld once said about the going to Irak without the "blessing" of the French:

"Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without an accordion. All you do is leave behind a lot of noisy baggage."

As a matter of fact the US haven`t missed the French overseas as Patton never thought of them as a great asset while crushing the German resistance.

Best regards...

Oh! I forgot one great military contemporary achievement in French military history: Dien Bien Phu! The surprise attack that turn against it`s doer.
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RF
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Re: French military victories?

Post by RF »

Karl Heidenreich wrote:
Losing against the Mexicans is quite a feat.

Are we including Messrs Crocket and Bowie in this?
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RF
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Re: French military victories?

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Karl Heidenreich wrote: In the 80ies they made a lot of fuss when deposing a loon called "Emperor Bokassa" (Jean Betel Bokassa).
He was in fact given exile by the French - along with a lot of his ill gotten gains. He must be one of the ultimates in capitalist exploitation....
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RF
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Re: French military victories?

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Karl Heidenreich wrote: not even at Marne (which, by the way, was not considered even a battle by the guy who was supposed to had won it: Gallieni).
But still a battle - and the Frech did actually win......
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RF
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Re: French military victories?

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Karl Heidenreich wrote:
Let`s not forget Somme or the Maginot...
The Somme battle was mostly a British operation.

Talking of the Maginot Line Ido recall one incident in November 1939 where the French did advance from the Maginot Line and occuppied a German village. This village, in front of the Siegfried Line, had previously been evacuated and was undefended. The French captured it without firing a shot, and according to General Gamelin it was a French victory. After some weeks the French pulled out. But according to the French it was still a victory.
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RF
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Re: French military victories?

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Karl Heidenreich wrote:Let`s remember what Donald Rummsfeld once said about the going to Irak without the "blessing" of the French:

"Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without an accordion. All you do is leave behind a lot of noisy baggage."

As a matter of fact the US haven`t missed the French overseas as Patton never thought of them as a great asset while crushing the German resistance.
Interesting that General Swchartzkoph in ''Operation Desert Storm'' was glad of the use of the French Foreign Legion and the use of French special forces on his left flank......
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Karl Heidenreich
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Re: French military victories?

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I don´t know if the following is true, but nevertheless is simbolic:

Sometime during WWII De Gaulle came to Churchill (at London, obviously) complaining about the great burden of responsability he had on his back.

"Oh, Winston, I had some 60 million crosses over my tired back..." referring for crosses to each french under German occupation.

To what Churchill, tired of his "ally", just answered:

"That´s nothing compared with the burden I have on my back: The Cross of Lorraine!"
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Karl Heidenreich
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Re: French military victories?

Post by Karl Heidenreich »

About Crockett and Bowie that´s unfair. They were just a bunch of guys, surrounded at El Alamo, without supplies against a whole army. Army that, after Alamo, got itself badly kicked by Texas´patriots.

And some years later General Winfield Scott did march upon the Halls of Monctezuma with a interesting group of young lieutenants:

Robert E. Lee
U.S. Grant
Old Pete Longstreet
Winfield Scott Hancock
Georgie Pickett
George Meade
Lewis Armistead

Upon others that gave those tyrannic bastards quite a kicking which got the entire latin continent still "touchy" about it.
Last edited by Karl Heidenreich on Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Karl Heidenreich
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Re: French military victories?

Post by Karl Heidenreich »

About Marne I recommed to read the book: "The myth of Great War" by John Mosier. I´m not claiming that his revisionist posture is 100% right but, nevertheless, is worth reading, enlightining in some things.
About his analysis of the Marne, whilst I not entirely agree with his vision it shows that it was not the "miracle" nor the french sacrificy that made the Germans redeploy. It was logistics...

This Mosier guy have other books about Sam Grant and Blitzkrieg that are worth reading.
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Karl Heidenreich
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Re: French military victories?

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Sorry about Somme, it´s obviously right. The German plan had the entire French Army pinned at Verdun, having them unable to help the British offensive operations.

But, again, since the Germans occupation of half of France in 1914, the natives were unable to expel them until Uncle Sam came into the equation in 1917-1918, being 3 powers vs. 1 on the Western Front. And they still need a commie revolt (a stab in the back as political incorrect that could sound...)to help them "defeat" the Germans.
Last edited by Karl Heidenreich on Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Karl Heidenreich
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Re: French military victories?

Post by Karl Heidenreich »

Well, we can see it this way:

When the French were US allies during 1991 Desert Storm operations they were part of those that cried loud for stopping the war short and letting Saddam go ahead with the regime.

During the 2003 invasion the US Army reached the heart of Irak alone (with the GB forces, thank God) and without the accordion...sorry!... the french forces. So, there was no need of those forces in the war, in the first place, it was just politics.
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Karl Heidenreich
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Re: French military victories?

Post by Karl Heidenreich »

Because this is a naval forum, then I regard appropiate to list some other French Defeats, these over water:

1. First battle of Cape Finisterre 1747
2. Second battle of Cape Finisterre 1747
3. Battle of the Nile, 1798
4. Battle of Cape Finisterre (again! these guys never learn) in 1805
5. Battle of Trafalgar (1805)

Since then the French Navy was as important as the Mexican effort to reach the Moon in 1969. Have someone heard of Mers El Kebir?
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Re: French military victories?

Post by lwd »

On the other hand there was a battle off Yorktown....
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