From a Marine in Kosovo . Note the signature, but read it last. A funny thing happened to me yesterday at Camp Bondsteel (Kosovo ): A French army officer walked up to me in the PX, and told me he thought we (Americans) were a bunch of cowboys and were going to provoke a war. He said if such a thing happens, we wouldn't be able to count on the support of France. I told him that it didn't surprise me. Since we had come to France's rescue in World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and the Cold War, their ingratitude and jealousy was due to surface at some point in the near future anyway. That is why France is a third-rate military power with a socialist economy and a bunch of faggots for soldiers. I additionally told him that America, being a nation of deeds and action, not words, would do whatever it had to do, and France's support was only for show anyway. Just like in ALL NATO exercises, the US would shoulder 85% of the burden, as evidenced by the fact that the French officer was shopping in the American PX, and not the other way around. He began to get belligerent at that point, and I told him if he would like to, I would meet him outside in front of the Burger King and beat his ass in front of the entire Multi-National Brigade East, thus demonstrating that even the smallest American had more fight in him than the average Frenchman. He called me a barbarian cowboy and walked away in a huff. With friends like these, who needs enemies? Mary Beth Johnson LtCol, USMC
Vietnam was slightly before my time and I am no expert, from what I have gathered the French were in big trouble and under seige. When we went in to rescue them, they pulled out of the country and left us with THEIR mess, we tried to keep face and look what happened. I also know that the French are one of our biggest spy problems, they have had some major inovations over time and I'm sure we've snagged a few ideas from them in the past too. But I think they handle the situation more like corporate spying and not actual espionage (sp?) Dave
While I agree with the spirit of the Marines reply, I do not forget that the French did finally come to our aid in the Revolutionary war, and literally forced it to a close by bottling up the British army with their Navy. The French had their own reasons for helping, of course, but the costs of that last war with Britain had bankrupted them, and helped bring about the revolution of their own, that became one of the bloodiest in history with Loius' head in the balance and the basket. The French military before World War 2 was still the strongest in the world, but was reduced in size and strength to "parity" with Germany due largely to pressure by the US and Britain. Indeed, their generals were largely incompetent men who had one their stars through influence and patronage. When Germany attacked, they merely went around the Maginot line, but the headless army did put up quite a fight. Their loss in World War 2 has put them since, into a secondary role in World events, and I am sure they still resent us for that, however, the average Frenchman still remembers the sacrifices of America on the beaches and hedgerows of Normandy.
At the time of the German invasion of France in WWII, the French Army was still the largest army in the "free" world (the Soviet Army was the largest in the world). The French had more planes, more tanks and more soldiers than the Germans. The Germans had more modern tanks and planes. And much more importantly, far superior tactics, training and leadership. The French were stuck in a WWI mentality. Germany defeated France (and the BEF) in 6 weeks. Some individual French units may have put up "quite a fight", but the French Army, as a whole, did nothing to distinguish itself in the Spring/Summer of 1940.
