• Etterra@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    France has shown themself to be made of much sterner stuff in the last couple decades then the stereotypes and jokes like to make out. I mean that’s not going to stop the English from making fun of France, but they still have nobility like this was 1650 or something.

    • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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      5 months ago

      The French have always been pretty strong. I don’t know what history you read, but they’ve pretty consistently had one of the strongest militaries in the world. Sure, they surrendered quickly on WWII, but the people kept fighting even then when their government was occupied. They were one of the first nations to aid the United States also and have always been pretty active.

      Is this all good? Idk. Besides resisting the Nazis after the occupation, I would very much argue much of this is bad (or at best self-serving). It’s nation-state shit. It’s never out of marality. They’re strong though.

      • Etterra@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        I said it was a stereotype. Overcoming that popular stereotype has been a lot harder than actually having a good military. And demonstrating that you have a good military is different than having one at all. Right or wrong, in the minds of many Americans they didn’t start seeming strong until after 9/11.

    • rottingleaf@lemmy.zip
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      5 months ago

      France has shown themself to be made of much sterner stuff in the last couple decades

      WDYM? France has been participating in plenty of undeclared, unofficial and gray zone wars practically since WWII till now.

      the stereotypes and jokes like to make out

      These change with time. Most of European history the stereotypic image of French people was much tougher than that of Germans.

      After 1971 - yeah. Interwar - no. After that - again yes.

      EDIT: 1871