The reputation of the French military in popular consciousness is one of ineptitude, as the Second World War collapse at the hands of the blitzkrieg supposedly demonstrates, yet this reputation is intensified and disseminated via the digital domain. The famous joke that a Google "I’m feeling lucky" search of ‘French Military Victories’ provides the response is ‘did you mean French Military Defeats?’ is one that continues to be regularly searched to this day. However the real joke may well be on those who are misinformed and mislead under the belief that French military history is completely characterized by ineptitude, weakness and cowardice. French military history is a long, varied and interesting subject, and even just focusing on post-Revolution (1789-1799) military history, several examples of French military success and bravery can be found.
The Battle of Austerlitz
The deciding conflict of the war of the Third Coalition (1805) the Battle of Austerlitz is widely regarded as Napoleon’s greatest victory. In taking on and defeating a combined Austrian and Russian force at Austerlitz (modern day Czech Republic) Napoleon brought about the Treaty of Pressburg, which Austria duly signed meaning that it had declared peace with France and was required to pay a total of 40 million francs as a result of the war. The conflict left Great Britain as the only country still at war with France and the only country with a comparable military strength as Napoleon had abandoned a planned invasion of England.
The battle itself is regarded as a tactical masterpiece as Napoleon anticipated the Allied attack on his Southern flank he thinned out his forces there and counterattack the centre of the opposing force. Both sides contained around 70,000 troops and the fighting took place over 9 hours on the 2nd of December 1805. Napoleon’s strategy of weakening one side of his force and providing a devastating counter attack to his opponents centre meant he was able to surround the majority of the Allied force at Sokolnitz and take a victory that allowed Napoleon to dismantle the Holy Roman Empire.
The Battle of Camaron
Though technically a defeat the Battle of Camaron (Mexico, 1863) was the defining moment for the French Foreign Legion. The battle, sometimes referred to as ‘the French Alamo’, saw a hugely outnumbered force of Legionnaires fight to the death and earn their worldwide reputation. This battle contradicts the misguided charge of French military cowardice that can often be seen in British popular culture, surrounding the Second World War. The ill fated French intervention in Mexico was broadly a military disaster as illness devastated the French forces sent to Mexico to try and coerce the government into repaying foreign loans to the French Crown and the French were resolutely defeated in each major battle.
The Battle itself was fought between a Mexican force that consisted of 800 cavalry and 1,200 infantry and French force of 3 officers and 62 soldiers. Led by Captain Danjou (who had a wooden hand due to fighting in Algiers) the French force was escorting a convoy carrying three million francs to the main French force at Peubla. The small company was attacked by Mexican cavalry whilst taking break form the trek and Danjou led his men (in a defensive rectangle formation) to the village of Camaron. After repelling two assaults Mexican Colonel Milan offered Danjou a chance to surrender as he was vastly outnumbered; however Danjou rejected and swore, along with his men, to fight to the death. Danjou was killed soon after and the battle eventually resulted in the final officer Maudet leading five men in a charge against over 1,000 Mexicans. These acts led Milan to respectfully comment ‘these are not men, they are devils,’ who allowed the last two men to live with the rest of the convoy safely on its way to Peubla.
The Second Battle of the Marne
The last German offensive on the Western Front the Second Battle of the Marne (1918) proved to be a decisive Allied victory as the counterattacking French forces overwhelmed the German advance and inflicted severe casualties. On the 15 of July the German First and Third Armies began an intense and decisive push against the French Fourth Army at Reims. However the German attack to the east of Reims failed miserably and was halted on the first day. The force that attacked to the West and crossed the Marne River was also halted by a combined Allied force on the other side of the river. Three days later (the 18th of July) Ferdinand Foch ordered a counter-attack of 24 French Divisions, joined by British, American and Italian troops. The counter attack was a decisive victory as the German forces suffered 168,000 casualties, and never fully recovered with the armistice coming in November 1918.
Sources:
Military.com
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