French foreign policy since 1900

Thesis: Since 1900, French foreign policy consistently has made the world a worse place, a more violent place, or both.
Evidence supporting the thesis:

  1. Prime sponsor of Treaty of Versailles

  2. Co-architect of doctrine of appeasement

  3. Failure to resist Nazism militarily or philisophically

  4. Maintenance of colonies after other nations stopped

  5. Use of force in #4 (Algeria, Indochina)

  6. Failure to establish sound infrastructure in colonies, leading to violence (Algeria, Indochina. Dishonorable mention for Francophone Zaire/Uganda/Rwanda.)

  7. Creation of independent nuclear arsenal

  8. Continued assertion of rights as former colonial dictator (this week: Ivory Coast)

  9. Major arms dealer to petty despots
    Evidence opposing thesis:

  10. Senegal is a pretty healthy place. Cameroon, too.

Why start in 1900?

But what is this anyway?
The beginning of a ‘France is Evil’ thing?
Are Americans really that susceptible to their own propaganda?

“Evil?” No.

A poor bellwether for troubled times? Perhaps.

Well, I’m not a big fan of French foreign policy but let’s see…

  1. Prime sponsor of Treaty of Versailles
    Not the only one. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

  2. Co-architect of doctrine of appeasement
    ditto

  3. Failure to resist Nazism militarily or philisophically
    They did, in fact, fight, but were beaten - as were Belgium, Netherlands, etc. All occupied countries had Petains, Qvislings, etc. The French were hardly fans of Nazis, for the most part (you could have mentioned that some of them helped round up Jews)

  4. Maintenance of colonies after other nations stopped
    UK and US still have some overseas territories, but yes - France has exhibited a peculiar interest in keeping some remnants to the extent of hugely subsidizing them. Makes them feel good to have some dots on the map. You’re right - this is pathetic

  5. Use of force in #4 (Algeria, Indochina)
    Not the only one, though the attempt to keep Algeria as part of Metropolitan France was bizarre - a la #4

  6. Failure to establish sound infrastructure in colonies, leading to violence (Algeria, Indochina. Dishonorable mention for Francophone Zaire/Uganda/Rwanda.)
    I’ve been to Algeria and Vietnam and seen the physical infrastructure they left behind. Nothing out of the ordinary. Do you mean institutional infrastructure?? True, but the Spanish were worse.

  7. Creation of independent nuclear arsenal
    Not the only one - US, USSR, PRC, UK et al have done the same

  8. Continued assertion of rights as former colonial dictator (this
    week: Ivory Coast)
    They’ve actually started to let go in their former African colonies. Ivory Coast is a case of trying to be helpful, with little success

  9. Major arms dealer to petty despots
    Not the only one

They haven’t really made the world a worse place. I would criticise them for not doing more to make it a better one - something the anglos seem stuck with. Nobless oblige.

Well, I cannot speak for the UK, but the US was the least involved in colonization, got out first, and generally we were rather embarrased by the whole thing. The little specks we have now are there pretty much so our ships can have supply depos, and our bases are usually well-liked by the locals.

Back on topic, the Vicky government was the worst form of sellout. And I think the French policy during the Cold War was blatantly treacherous.

Re: Their dropping out of NATO and currying Russian favor.