9,000 Frenchmen were killed or wounded, along with 16,000 Russians and Austrians. The Czar and his army retreated. ibid.
He brought the Prussians to their knees. ibid.
Napoleon’s peace terms were generous. ibid.
Napoleon could never imagine some people loved their countries as much as he loved his own. Empires: Napoleon IV: The End
The French tortured and mutilated their prisoners. The Spanish did the same. ibid.
King Louis XVIII had neither Napoleon’s charm or charisma ... The King soon became unpopular. ibid.
Napoleon raised an army and marched towards Waterloo. ibid.
The French cavalry was destroyed. ibid.
They sent him back into exile. ibid.
On St Helena he was a prisoner. ibid.
Day after day he dictated his memoirs. ibid.
Napoleon lasted five and a half years on St Helena. ibid.
It [Channel] is a mere ditch, and will be crossed as soon as someone has the courage to attempt it. Napoleon Bonaparte, letter 1803
I see no place for myself in this world. Napoleon Bonaparte
We killed a great many of them. Now all is quiet. I could not be happier. Napoleon Bonaparte
Great men become great because they have been able to master luck. Napoleon Bonaparte
To die is nothing, but to live defeated and without glory is to die every day. Napoleon Bonaparte
Everything on Earth is soon forgotten except the opinion we leave imprinted on history. There is no immortality but the memory that is left in the minds of men. (France & History) Napoleon Bonaparte
France has more need of me than I have need of France. Napoleon Bonaparte
Louis XVI: so powerful he took his name from the sun itself. So dominant he made the haughteous aristocrats bend to his will. So insatiable that no one mistress could satisfy him for long. Throughout a long and turbulent life Louis sought magnificence in all things. He strived for it in love, and battle and art. Versailles: The Dream of a King, BBC 2014
‘The parties at Versailles – they’ve been described as pagan masses. Fireworks, rides along the canal in gondolas ... plays, ballets ... this tremendous circus of celebration for the king.’ ibid. Lisa Hilton, author: The Real Queen of France
He dressed in the finest cloth and expected his courtiers to do likewise. And when his hair began to recede, he adopted the fashion for elaborate wigs ... Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors: ‘Nothing anywhere in the world compares with this Hall!’ ibid.
In 1889 this was the tallest building in the world – three hundred metres high and designed to celebrate the centenary of the French Revolution ... This is still the world’s most famous iron tower. Ronald Top, More Industrial Revelations: Europe s4e5: Eiffel’s Tower, Discovery 2006
Eiffel’s use of open girders massively reduced the wind resistance. Not only were they cost effective they were an engineering triumph. ibid.
Not one of Eiffel’s workers died during construction of the Tower. ibid.
France has lost a battle. But France has not lost the war. Charles de Gaulle, proclamation 18th June 1940
Faced by the bewilderment of my countrymen, the disintegration of a government in thrall to the enemy, by the fact that the institutions of my country are incapable, at the moment, of functioning, I General de Gaulle, a French soldier and military leader, realize that I now speak for France. Charles de Gaulle, speech 19th June 1940
I have tried to lift France out of the mud. But she will return to her errors and vomitings. I cannot prevent the French from being French. Charles de Gaulle
Once upon a time there was an old country, wrapped up in habit and caution. We have to transform our old France into a new country and marry it to its time. Charles de Gaulle
August 23rd 1962 Paris: Charles de Gaulle, President of France, is back at work as usual after having survived the latest attempt on his life the previous day. Infamous Assassinations: The Attempt on General De Gaulle
De Gaulle has made many enemies over the years. But of all those who wish him ill none is more dangerous than a secretive group of ex-French Army officers. They hate and despise him for granting independence to the former French colony of Algiers. The officers see this as the ultimate betrayal. ibid.
Meanwhile the OAS continues its bloody terror campaign, now planting bombs in French towns and cities, causing widespread carnage, alarm and confusion. In addition, Algerian immigrants are singled out and attacked, with more than a hundred dying violently. ibid.
By now attempts on De Gaulle’s life had become almost commonplace. So much so that one of them is the subject of a classic film The Day of the Jackal, and a book of the same name by British author Frederick Forsyth. ibid.
22nd August 1962 ... A gang of armed men pace out the street. They have an audacious plan to assassinate Charles de Gaulle, the President of France. It’s an operation they have been rehearsing for weeks. Down to the last second. Twenty seconds is all they need to kill the President and topple the French Republic. The future stability of Europe lies in their hands. Days that Shook the World s2e5: Conspiracy to Kill, BBC 2004
Disillusioned factions in the French military tried to organise a coup against De Gaulle. They failed. But extremist factions have formed a secret army called the OAS intent on killing De Gaulle and restoring Algeria to French rule. ibid.
Amazingly, neither he nor Madame [Yvonne] de Gaulle have a scratch on them. ibid.
Forensics found one bullet had lodged itself in the headrest of De Gaulle’s seat. Had he not ducked down at that precise moment he would have been shot through the head. ibid.
A massive investigation quickly identifies the conspirators. Within a few weeks most of the gang are behind bars. ibid.
Only at the age of eighty years old did he stand down in April 1969. ibid.
Miss, have you got hairy armpits? Are you scared of razors, miss? Are they expensive in Frenchland? Well why don’t you buy one then? Miss, were you in Hello-Hello? Miss, say ‘Good Moaning’. The Catherine Tate Show, Lauren’s French oral exam
France, and the whole of Europe have a great culture and an amazing history. Most important thing though is that people there know how to live! In America they’ve forgotten all about it. I’m afraid that the American culture is a disaster. Johnny Depp
The quality of life is so different in France. There is the possibility of living a simple life. I would never contemplate raising my daughter in LA. I would never raise any child there. Johnny Depp
France had a policy, initiated by General de Gaulle, of trying to turn Europe into what was then called a ‘third force’, independent of the two superpowers, so Europe should pursue an independent course. Noam Chomsky
In February 2004 the two traditional torturers of Haiti – France and the United States – combined to back a military coup and send President Aristide off to Africa. The US denies him permission to return to the entire region. Noam Chomsky
The two main criminals are France and the United States. They owe Haiti enormous reparations because of actions going back hundreds of years. If we could ever get to the stage where somebody could say, ‘We’re sorry we did it,’ that would be nice. But if that just assuages guilt, it’s just another crime. To become minimally civilized, we would have to say, ‘We carried out and benefited from vicious crimes. A large part of the wealth of France comes from the crimes we committed against Haiti, and the United States gained as well. Therefore we are going to pay reparations to the Haitian people.’ Then you will see the beginnings of civilization. Noam Chomsky, Imperial Ambitions: Conversations on the Post-9/11 World
During May, the US pressured political leaders in France and Italy to form coalition governments excluding the Communists. It was made clear and explicit that aid was contingent on preventing an open political competition, in which left and labor might dominate. Noam Chomsky, Deterring Democracy
The postwar destitution was exploited to undermine the French labor movement, along with direct violence. Desperately needed food supplies were withheld to coerce obedience, and gangsters were organized to provide goon squads and strike-breakers. ibid.