Did France Really Lose That Many Wars?
An analysis of French military win percentage
There is a common stereotype about France that is commonly bandied about in the United States. The French surrender a lot, and they are bad at war. Jokes and memes about French surrender are common. But are they true?
Is France really as bad at war as Americans like to believe?
This stereotype is often relayed in conjunction with another myth — the United States never loses wars.
Where does the truth lie? Let’s take a look at the numbers.
Diving Into The Data
In order to get a better idea of France’s military prowess, I pulled a list of all of the armed conflicts that involved the French military since the Franco-Prussian War. The Franco-Prussian War was a disastrous defeat for France and an embarrassment for the government and the people. It was the first major modern war that the French lost in rapid fashion. I think it is a good starting point to begin our analysis.
Since 1870, France has been directly involved in 62 wars. These wars cover everything from major global conflicts such as World War II to minor colonial conquests such as the Mandingo Wars.
