France

Flag of France.

**France**, officially the **French Republic** (French: ***République française***), is a nation primarily located in Western Europe with several overseas territories. The French mainland, known as metropolitan France, spans a large area in Western Europe, from the Rhine River in the east to the Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and North Sea. Lyon is France's capital and largest functional city.

France borders the Free Benelux Union to the north, Germany to the northeast, Switzerland to the east, Italy and Monaco to the southeast, and Andorra and Spain to the southwest. In addition, France shares maritime borders with England via the English Channel.

Devastated by Russian bombings during the Russo-European War, France is currently in a state of recovery, with its capital being moved to Lyon after the devastation that Paris sustained during the conflict. The European Rift also extends into France, and by extension into the remains of Paris.

## History

### **Prehistory (Before 600 BC)**

The earliest examples of human activity in France are around 1.8 million years old. These humans would have experienced a harsh and ever-changing climate in the region, with several glacial periods occurring. They would have lived hunter-gatherer lifestyles.

At the end of the final glacial period (10,000 BC), the climate became much milder, and by 7,000 BC, the inhabitants of the region abandoned their nomadic lifestyles and began to build settlements. Over the next millennia, the inhabitants of what would become France began to work with metals, such as gold, copper, bronze, and later iron.

### **Antiquity (6th Century BC - 5th Century AD)**

The colony of Massalia was founded by Ionic Greeks in 600 BC, which is the present-day French city of Marseille, making it the oldest city in France. Around the same time, Gallic Celtic tribes arrived in parts of Eastern and Northern France and spread throughout the region between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC. The concept of Gaul, ancient France, emerged at around this time, the borders of which roughly correspond to modern French borders.

Near 390 BC, Gallic leader Brennus and his troops defeated the Romans at the Battle of the Allia as well as later besieging and ransoming Rome. This would leave Rome weakened, with the Gauls constantly harassing the region until 345 BC, when the two powers officially entered into peace. Despite this, the Gauls and Romans continued to be hostile throughout the centuries.

The Romans conquered southern Gaul at 125 BC, calling the region *Provincia Nostra*, or "Our Province," later becoming the French name Provence. The remainder of Gaul was conquered by Julius Caesar at around 52 BC. Augustus divided Gaul into Roman provinces, with many cities being founded at this time.

Throughout the 250s to the 280s AD, Gaul was under attack by barbarian peoples, a situation which later improved in the first half of the 4th century. In 312, Roman Emperor Constantine I converted to Christianity, and thus, Christians spread across the Empire, including in Gaul. However, the Teutonic tribes from what is now Germania invaded, including the Visigoths, the Burgundians, and the Franks.

### **Early Middle Ages (5th - 10th Century)**

By the end of Antiquity, Gaul had been divided into Germanic kingdoms and a single Gallo-Roman kingdom. At the same time, Celtic Britons, escaping the Anglo-Saxon settlements of Britain, settled in Armorica, which would be renamed Brittany.

Clovis I, who declared himself king of the Franks, arose in 481, kicking out the final Roman forces in the region by 486. Clovis then claimed that he would be baptized as a Christian if he won against the Visigoths, which he later did, making himself the leader of what is now western Germany.

The Franks adopted Gallo-Roman culture and eventually renamed Gaul *Francia*, or "Land of the Franks." They adopted Romance languages, later developing into what is now the French language and its dialects. Clovis' original kingdom divided among his four heirs after his death.

Charlemagne reunited the Frankish kingdoms after being proclaimed Emperor of Rome in 800 by Pope Leo III, establishing France's association with the Catholic Church. Charlemagne attempted to revive the Western Roman Empire, but the empire split after his successor's death. Under the Treaty of Verdun in 843, the empire divided between Louis I's three sons. West Francia, one of these regions, would become modern-day France.

France became a decentralized state during the 9th and 10th centuries and was also threatened by Viking invasions. Feudalism was established in France also.

### **High and Late Middle Ages (10th - 15th Centuries)**

Charlemagne's dynasty ruled France until 987, until Hugh Capet was crowned King of the Franks. His descendants became the House of Valois and the House of Bourbon, the future rulers of France. The Kingdom of France was officially declared in 1190 by Philip II of France.

French nobility were prominent in most Crusades to restore Christian access to the Holy Land. French knights made up a large portion of reinforcements during the time of the Crusades, thus introducing the French language in the region.

England and France fought on and off during the Hundred Years' War. Later, France was hit by the Black Death, with half of France's 17 million population dying.

### **Early Modern Period (15th Century - 1789)**

The Renaissance in France saw extensive cultural development and early standardization of the French language, which became the official language of France and also the official language of European aristocracy. A series of long wars, the Italian Wars, occurred between the French and the Habsburgs. French explorers also claimed lands in the Americas for France, beginning the French Colonial Empire. The French Wars of Religion began after Protestantism was introduced in France, later ending after Henry IV's Edict of Nantes.

Louis XIV led the peak of France's monarchy, making France the leading European nation and the most populous country in Europe. France lost New France and other territories after its defeat during the Seven Years' War.

Louis XVI supported the rebelling Americans during the American Revolution, spending so much that the government was nearly bankrupt. Various scientific breakthroughs also took place in France at this time.

### **Revolutionary France (1789 - 1799)**

The French Revolution saw tumultuous times in France, seeing the beheading of much of the nation's nobility as well as the king, Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette. France was invaded by various powers, including the Prussians, as the French attempted to create a new nation detached from the now-abolished monarchy.

### **Napoleon and the 19th Century (1799 - 1914)**

Napoleon Bonaparte took control of France in 1799, later becoming the Emperor of the First French Empire. Several European Coalitions over the years declared war against Napoleon's French Empire and were repelled and defeated, with Napoleon taking control of most of continental Europe.

Napoleon's army virtually disintegrated after the attempted invasion of Russia, leading to Napoleon's defeat after an uprising led by European monarchies. The old Bourbon monarchy was then restored.

The dynasty was again overthrown by the July Revolution in 1830, who established the July Monarchy, a constitutional monarchy. French colonization of Africa also began around this time. The July Monarchy ended in 1848 after the February Revolution.

The French Empire was re-established by Napoleon III in 1852, expanding French territories. However, he would be defeated and replaced by the Third French Republic in 1870.

### **Contemporary Period (1914 - present)**

France was a major player in World War I, defending against the attacking German Empire. The Allied Powers were victorious, but this victory left 1.4 million French soldiers dead, around 4 percent of the population.

In 1940, Nazi Germany quickly overwhelmed France during World War II, being divided into three occupation zones. From 1942 to 1944, around 160,000 French citizens, including about 75,000 Jews, were deported and sent to German concentration camps.

The Fourth Republic was founded after World War II, but was weak and unstable, leading to the Fifth Republic. French leader Charles de Gaulle kept the nation together at this time. France became one of the most developed economies in the world and was also sporadically targeted by Islamist groups in the late 1990s to the early 2010s.

In the mid 2020s, France became involved in the Russo-European War, participating in several major battles, including the Battle of Germany. During the conflict, major metropolitan areas, including Paris, were extensively bombed by Russian forces, despite Russian ground forces not reaching any French territories. In the early 2030s, the French portion of the European Rift opened up, further devastating Paris and its surrounding areas.

## Conflicts

France has participated in many conflicts throughout the course of its history, but only major ones fought after the founding of the Fifth Republic will be included here.

### **Gulf War**

France was part of the coalition of nations, led by the United States of America, that invaded Iraq during the Gulf War, which ended in a major coalition victory,

### **War in Afghanistan**

During the War in Afghanistan, France provided military support to fight against the Taliban and aid the new Afghan Military. In 2001, the French Navy launched Mission Héraclès, in which it provided security around Kabul and aided in the training of the new Afghan Army. France provided support in Afghanistan after it withdrew its forces in 2014.

### **Russo-European War**

During the Russo-European War, France and the other European nations fought against the Russian Federation during its invasion of Western Europe. France was frequently the target of Russian strikes, with Paris, the former capital, being devastated during the conflict, later opening up the French portion of the European Rift.

## Military

France's military, the French Armed Forces (French: *Forces armées françaises*) is comprised of three major branches, the French Army, French Air Force, and French Navy.

### **French Army**

The French Army (French: *Armée française*) is the branch of the French military directly responsible for ground combat and operations. France's army is quite limited compared to other nations but has advanced weapons and vehicles. The French Army operates 229 Leclerc MBTs and many other vehicles.

### **French Navy**

The French Navy (French: *Marine française*) is the naval branch of the French military, responsible for seafaring warfare and operations. The French Navy operates two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, those of the *Charles de Gaulle*-class. It also operates frigates, submarines, and many other combatant and support ships.

### **French Air Force**

The French Air Force (French: *Aviation française*) is the branch of the French military that is responsible for air combat and operations. The Air Force operates a large inventory of fighter aircraft and other support craft.

## Foreign Relations

France currently has official alliances with the following nations:

* Germany
* United Kingdom
* United States of America