French weren't cowards (REALLY BIG LAUGH ALERT)

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | February 6, 2003 | Pan Demetrakakes

[ExpandNATO]

Keep on mocking. It was the French monarchy that helped the US at Yorktown and France executed them only a few years later.

[LibertarianInExile]

...er...that's French MILITARY.

[Romulus]

The French surrendered without firing a shot.

Kindly explain then, how the French military of the second world war took casualties numerically equivalent to those of the USA, but in only one theatre of operations, in an army less than half the size, raised from a population one third the size. Not to mention the civilian casualties. Never checked them, have you? It's always easier to be a canting fool, isn't it?

And speaking of "sempre ragione", trouble yourself to compare France's wartime losses to Italy's.

[angry elephant]

The French are physically weak, morally weak, intellectually weak, and weak on courage.

My father came to America as an infant, enlisted in the Army during World War II, and went back to fight in Normandy. I think just being American must take the surrender out. He didn't eat that much cheese, either.

[NoNewTaxes]

I see it differently. The french are not surrendering cowards, they are ignorant morons, ignoring the obvious. Maybe the image below offers a subliminal picture of their true character.

[Bogey78O]

Hey, we got the cajuns down here in Louisiana. They're pretty far removed from France though. I think they're the reason why there's a courage deficit in France. They took it all with them.

[fso301]

I give up.

[John H K]

They could have held off the Germans for more than long enough for the British and French to come to their assistance.

The British and French told them they weren't going to come to their assistance.

[John H K]

At the beginning of World War II, Germany possessed the world's most powerful army, led by some of the world's most brilliant commanders. When Germany launched its great assault on France in 1940, it had no worries in the East, having defeated Poland and concluded a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union.

The French and British:

1) Had more tanks than the Germans in 1940

2) Had better tanks than the Germans in 1940

Luftwaffe was clearly superior because the French had screwed up their aircraft procurement and had a lot of junk.

[John H K]

In 1940, France was hampered by their arrogant confidence in the Maginot line.

COMPLETELY WRONG. The Maginot Line is replete with myths.

The problem with the French was LACK of confidence in the line. They manned it with too many troops, and didn't have enough troops on the half of the French border that the line did not extend to.

[Travis McGee]

#7: Well stated!!

[federalisthokie]

The French Revolution was the crucible that made possible the ensuing centuries of Leftist discord
A revolution that was based largely on the American revolution, as I recall. You know, liberty and all that stuff.

READ BURKE

[blackbart.223]

"That's exactly right. They have not learned how dangerous it is to appease a dictator."

And that's the point. Most of Europe viewed Hitler as a wild eyed fanatic who didn't pose much of a threat. Sound familiar?

[Bogey78O]

The French Revolution was an orgy of violence with the excuse of freedom. Some French leaders came to their senses and realized they had turned the country into a mob run bloodbath and were promptly killed for it.

[SAMWolf]

<===Mash This

French Army to Market "Ultimate Surrender" Video Game

Paris - Inspired by the commercial success of the United States Army’s "Boot Camp" video game, the General Staff of the French Army has announced plans to market "Ultimate Surrender," a video game based upon the proud military traditions of the Gauls.

In the game we follow the exploits of Lucky Pierre, an apprentice garlic salesman from Marseilles, as he joins the French Army and begins a rigorous course of combat training.

The First Level of the game is called "Survival School," and the players have to help Lucky Pierre survive 24 hours without red wine or crème brulé.

The Second Level is "Capitulation," and the goal here is to see which player can have Lucky Pierre surrender the fastest without firing a shot or getting his uniform dirty.

Level Three is "Collaboration." Here the players battle to see who can collect the largest numbers of pairs of nylon stockings and packages of chocolates by having Lucky Pierre perform sexual favors for members of the occupying forces.

Level Four is "Be Ungrateful to America for Rescuing Your Sorry French Ass Once Again." In this extremely challenging part of the game contestants vie with one another to see who can make Lucky Pierre behave in the surliest manner when the United States inevitably comes to the rescue of the defeated French.

The Final Level is "Pretending to Have Been in the Resistance." Here contestants compete in a battle of tall tales and whoppers as they try to protect Lucky Pierre from treason charges.

Marketing tests show that "Ultimate Surrender" is a big hit with French teenagers and young adults who are too young to have experienced France’s lightening surrender to the Germans in 1940 or its defeat by the Vietnamese in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu. "Zees is a great tool to inspire ze patriotism in ze youths, n’est ce pas?" said General Jean-Jacques Loseur, Commander-in-Chief of the French Army, during his weekly press conference. "Since ze end of ze Cold War we French have not had many opportunities to surrender or to show great cowardice in the face of much weaker opponents."

When questioned about comments made in the French Chamber of Deputies that "Ultimate Surrender" makes the French Army look like a bunch of gutless mama’s boys, General Loseur pulled out a white handkerchief, put his hands over his head and said, "Oh heck, I give up."

[AnAmericanMother]

The Cajuns left a LONG time before the French killed off all their brave men.

[blackbart.223]

"Well now, we could have always nuked the Germans if we got tired of fighting the big bad Germans."

That would have been a neat trick. Germany had already surrendered before the first a bomb was even tested.

[ffusco]

I know a lot of Frenchmen died during WW2, most of them were Jews, Gays, cripples, and other undesireables, a few of them were soldiers since they had surrendered so quickly.
OTOH: Italy has a pretty lousy military record and I make no claims otherwise: 500k dead in WW1. WW2: Lackluster army, poorly equipped for mechanized war, poor leadership still fighting the last war. Formidable Navy, modern, fast and not used effectively, no radar or sea-worthy carrier, most of it sunk in harbour by Brits. Air Force- some decent planes but not in enough numbers to matter in the end. But I'm an American and I appreciate what PM Berlusconi said about America. Italy will help the US in Iraq - even if it mean only the use of Italian bases, replacing US forces with Alpini in Afghanistan, and a few Tornado sorties, they are doing what they can. They don't have a big offensive capability and prefer to do peace-keeping, mine clearing, road building etc. and that's fine. Nobody expects a big Italian Troop deployment to Iraq, but I bet they build a few hospitals and schools like they did in Lebanon in the 80's. And that's why America loves Italy, they don't pretend to be so important, like the French, God knows why?

[WorkingClassFilth]

"They manned it with too many troops, and didn't have enough troops on the half of the French border that the line did not extend to."

Well, John, you need to read your history a little more.

The reason they neglected the rest of their borders was precisely because they had such complete confidence in the impregnability of the line. The Maginot was a showboat replete with theaters, railroads and cafes. Their myopic thinking was firmly rooted in WWI experience. The German thought, OTOH, invented WWII - blitzkrieg ring a bell?