Compare [France's] military history since WW2 with that of their neighbors or other countries in the EU.
OK. (if I left anything out, chime in. This of course is the individual country fighting, not including their participation in any NATO action.)
France -- Indochina, Algeria (colonies)
Spain -- no colonies
Germany -- no colonies (and demilitarized)
Belgium -- no colonies
Holland -- Dutch East Indies (Indonesia, colony)
Norway -- no colonies
Britain -- N. Ireland, Falkland Islands
Sweden -- no colonies
Italy -- no colonies
Ireland -- no colonies
Finland -- (!? :-) no colonies
Military action seems to have focused on colonies. So after WWII (still picking on France here), France decided to demonstrate its "willingness to fight" not to protect itself and its own country, but assert domination over their colonies? OK, I stand corrected, France may be "willing to fight" under certain circumstances. Given its recent convoluted history, I hate to think what those "certain circumstances" might be.
BTW, I would still call that limited action, even if France suffered more casualties in Indochina than we did. There was little if any chance of the fighting spreading to other countries, and it ended when the French were decisively defeated or the political situation changed. |
