78
votes
Accepted
Why are the German and French languages so different?
Defense of German heritage against Romans
The biggest reason for how the lands east of the Rhine retained their German identity (unlike the Gauls of modern day France who lost their Celtic identity) ...
- 8,185
63
votes
What was the point of horse armour?
I would contend that we tend to overestimate the effectiveness of bows vs armour, and that the armour would likely prevent at least some percentage of the damage to the mount.
If we look at the wiki ...
- 38.7k
59
votes
Accepted
Was England considered a "colony" of France?
I'm going to say that England should not be considered as having been a colony of France.
From the wiki page for colony
a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state, ...
- 4,781
58
votes
Accepted
In 19th century France, were police able to send people to jail without a trial, as presented in "Les Misérables"?
This is a plausible description.
Probably not 'the norm' in how it went down exactly, but easily filed under 'could have happened'.
But it is essential to not generalise this too far.
Since the ...
- 80.8k
54
votes
Why aren't there major cities on the Atlantic coast of France?
First because most cities in France are much smaller than cities in the US. Compare a list of French cities by population with the same for the US. There are 11 cities in the US bigger than the 2nd ...
- 54.9k
52
votes
Accepted
Why did the population of Descartes, France increase by so much in the 1960's?
Based on this page from the French School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, it appears that the neighbouring Balsesmes merged into La Haye-Descartes in 1966, before the combined commune was ...
- 97.4k
48
votes
Accepted
What happened to these buildings near the Seine?
They were not regular construction, but exhibits for the Exposition Universelle (1900), showing different cultures side by side:
Each country funded, designed and on occasion constructed their
...
- 38.7k
38
votes
Accepted
Was a passport needed to travel between UK and France in 1972?
Piecing together various sources, it is clear that there was a no-passport agreement between the United Kingdom and France from 1961 until 1984 and that, even after the termination of this agreement, ...
- 108k
35
votes
Was it possible for a message from Paris to reach London within 48 hours in 1782?
The French Postal Service started operation in the fifteenth century and by 1632 - 150 years before your inquiry - there was already a network of over 623 coaching inns operated by it across the ...
- 72.3k
35
votes
Accepted
How did slavery become permissible in the French West Indies when it was forbidden in France?
Louis X's decree in 1315 did not abolish slavery. That's a historical myth.
First, the ordonnance did not say anything about slaves, and explicitly mentioned that it was applicable to persons "...
- 97.4k
32
votes
What is this flag?
Technically, it's not a flag it's a surcoat. It represents the coats of arms of her family. In heraldic terms, the display of these arms are known as impalement. In this case, the arms on the dexter ...
- 4,781
28
votes
Accepted
Did Napoleon plan to invade India?
The answer is a very solid yes although I'd prefer the word Intervene rather than invade.
India was one of the key possessions of British and Indian trade was crucial to British economy at that time....
- 8,185
26
votes
When was France fully liberated?
Atlantic pockets
The answer is surprisingly difficult to find on Wikipedia. I persisted in searching and finally found this:
German military administration in occupied France during World War II ...
- 569
26
votes
Why are the German and French languages so different?
The Franks were a German tribe, speaking a Germanic language. They conquered part of the Roman Empire roughly corresponding to modern-day France.
However, the common folk in that area spoke Latin, ...
- 118k
25
votes
Accepted
Do any historians consider superior German airpower as the most important factor in the Battle of France?
To my surprise, this may be somewhat accurate. In the critical Battle of Sedan on May 13, Guderian fielded 1st and 2nd Panzer divisions, reinforced by Grossdeutchland infantry regiment, one regiment ...
- 72.3k
24
votes
Why aren't there major cities on the Atlantic coast of France?
Bordeaux and Nantes are major cities and their proximity to the Atlantic coast was key to their development so there is nothing unusual about France in this respect, it does have some major port ...
- 2,208
23
votes
Was England considered a "colony" of France?
It shouldn't. Before conquering England, William the Bastard was Duke of Normandy, a political entity that had been separate from West Francia (by 1066, the Kingdom of France) since 911 C.E. The ...
- 390
23
votes
Accepted
Which king was this?
This anecdote is from Walter Scott's novel Quentin Durward. The king is Louis XI.
The guy who predicts the future is Martius (Marti) Galeotti, Italian astrologist.
The guard who is supposed to kill ...
- 38.5k
21
votes
What was the point of horse armour?
Knights didn't just face longbows. There were also swords, pikes, maces etc. on the battlefield and good plate armor also protected against firearms. Two knights fighting on the battlefield - they're ...
- 418
21
votes
Accepted
Why did the Schlieffen Plan prioritize invading France?
Plan, what plan, exactly?
The "Schlieffen Plan" did not "prioritize" invading France.
That plan was a relatively short memorandum and solely about invading France, with the ...
- 80.8k
20
votes
Did 17th Cent. French Gentlemen Necessarily Use a Scabbard for Dress Swords?
A scabbard is paired with the sword it is supposed to encase, not with the belt to which it is attached.
Carrying a sword without a scabbard is not a very good idea (to put it mildly): not only it is ...
- 26.9k
20
votes
Accepted
Did French people in 19th century not bathe every day?
This does seem to be the case. Since the story is set in Paris, we can look at some relevant info.
A reference relates fear of bathing to the plague, spoken of here:
The habit of bathing took ...
- 38.7k
20
votes
Accepted
What are the dates of these panoramas of Paris?
Acknowledgement: this answer owes a debt to some of the comments posted under the question and under this answer, especially Kimchilover.
There is conclusive evidence that all three images are from ...
- 108k
20
votes
Accepted
What do these terms in Caesar's Gallic Wars mean?
It is, perhaps easier to understand when compared with a map:
image source Wikimedia CC BY-SA 4.0
Now, Caesar's meaning should be a little more clear. When he says:
"The Belgae rises from the ...
- 77.3k
19
votes
Accepted
Were there elections in France under the absolute monarchy?
Yes.
Absolutism is rarely, if ever, as absolute as the name suggests. Even after the ascension of Louis XIV, the Estates of France continued to meet in assemblies. The most famous and powerful was of ...
- 97.4k
19
votes
What type of military uniform is this?
This is a French soldier from the 13th Batallion Chasseurs Alpins. They are light infantry mountain troops.
- 1,313
19
votes
Accepted
Does it make sense to point cannons at a city (Marseille Fort St Jean)?
You answered your own question yourself:
on the orders of Louis XIV who was displeased that the Marseillais had toppled the local governor
It depends very much what you find more important:
to ...
- 20.9k
18
votes
Accepted
Why were Morocco and Tunisia made a French protectorate, but Algeria annexed as part of France?
One of the main differences between Algeria and other Maghreb countries controlled by France was the extensive settlements established there. European settlers began arriving immediately after the ...
- 7,092
18
votes
Accepted
What did Winston Churchill mean by this quote?
The speech was part of a secret session briefing on the situation in North Africa on 10 December 1942. The original papers are held at the UK National Archives under reference PREM3/442/12.
That ...
- 77.3k
18
votes
Accepted
Why did the French Army melt film during WWI?
SHORT ANSWER
Films at the time were generally considered to have little, if any, artistic value. Nor was it believed that they had any commercial value once they had been seen by the public. Thus, ...
- 108k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible