France is a country the English love to hate, it is a country that many believe is the birthplace of romance and a place where people eat frogs legs and know the difference between Champagne and fizzy wine.  These are just side stories to a country that is an important political player in Europe, a master player on the world wine market and a country that is home to just shy of 67 million people of which 15% are immigrants, imports or just plain foreigners.

French is the considered the language of love, and those who take the time to learn the language will soon discover that it is much richer than “Je t’adore” and “Bonsoir mademoiselle”.  The French language is officially a Romance language, not romance as is love but as in Romanic, but perhaps it is all about love in a way. The language itself stems from something that sounds far less romantic, evolving from Vulgar Latin between the sixth and ninth centuries and some 800 million people now speak language around the world.

French is a popular language to learn, but what about the country of France, what is its history? Anyone visiting France will instantly realise that the French are passionate, beyond merely patriotic, about their country and they have every right to be so. Being able to speak French will enable you to get a little deeper into French history on your next visit. But in short, France has a wonderful, colourful, chequered and at times fascinating past.

The country we call France can be tracked back to the Iron Age and the land mass that makes up the country from North to South was once the bulk of what Rome called Gaul. The Romans noted three languages, dialects or linguistic groups in the region: the Gauls, the Aquitani, and the Belgae. In the first thousand years BC France was colonised by the Greeks, Romans and Carthaginians and Southern Gaul was annexed. The Gallic wars eventually saw France (Gaul) become integrated into the then Roman Emperor and there are still many reminders of this, none more better than Pont du Gard, the world famous roman aqueduct still operational today.

Over time, what is now France, saw dynasties and kings and queens come and go with notable historical figures rising up through a series of conflicts known better as the Hundred Year’s war. One such well-known name was a young peasant girl who became a national heroine.  Joan of Arc was one of many who throughout the history of France is still held high today.

The French Revolution in the 1800s saw the monarchy thrown out with the country governed as a republic until Napoleon Bonaparte declared France the “French Empire”. He was soon defeated in the Napoleonic wars and France went back and forth between Monarchy and Republic for many years until 1870.

The First World War was marked by many deaths and France became a battlefield and grave for many young men. Fighting alongside the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy and the Allies against Germany saw France become one of the saddest places on earth in a war that was said to be the war to end all wars.  But, it was not to be.

 LearFrance was invaded and conquered by Nazi Germany in 1940 only to be liberated after 4 long, painful years of war.  The people of France never gave up; the French resistance to this day are still considered some of the bravest, most valiant people who fought in World War II. Upon liberation, France and her people became major players on the world stage, peacekeepers, and became permanent members of the UN Security Council and NATO, immediately after the war. Today France is strong economically, culturally and politically with its military forces active against the war on terror that is taking place today. France is important and her people know it.

France is a country rich in history, far richer than a simple article or blog post can define. This history can be uncovered by visiting France and then uncovered more by speaking the wonderful, so-called, language of love, French. Learn with us!