Review The French War

Many Americans are not aware of France's circumstances as it entered the Second World War. The fact is that the First World War left France's infrastructure in shambles, railroads, airports, bridges, naval ports, hospitals, schools and thousands homes and municipal buildings were obliterated. Her army, once considered the best in Europe, was decimated. One million three hundred thousand men died, and France lost the best of its youth.Thousand men returned from prison camps so weak they were never able to work again. There’s a reason it is called "The Forgotten War," but to completely ignore it is a real disservice to the thousands of people who lost their lives there. North Korea is a legitimate threat to the safety of millions of Americans and our allies, and while it’s easy to simply write off Kim Jong Il as a crazy loose cannon, understanding the conflicts between the US and North Korea can help students make sense of the tensions that still exist in that region today.

Who knows if studying history prevents us from repeating it, but it cannot be denied that understanding historical events can help anyone put events of the present day into perspective. When the war in Iraq began, I was made painfully aware of the lack of knowledge and understanding many Americans had about France's circumstances as it entered the Second World War. My native country was trashed in the press, French wine was thrown down into ditches, and the French were painted as cowards who wouldn't fight. I feel compelled to offer some information that, hopefully, will dispel some of these impressions. When the armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, America made generous loans to both France and Germany. France used the funds to rebuild the country, and by the time the Second War started, only 20 years after the First World War and in the midst of the Great Depression, France had achieved its goal.

When World War II began in September 1939, Germany possessed five times the number of planes, tanks, trucks and weapons than did France and its allies, and a large, well trained force. Additionally, other than Poland, none of the Allies who initially joined France in 1914 agreed to join her in 1939. It must also be said that France's government was in constant political turmoil during most of those twenty years. Understanding how the United States has evolved is crucial to understanding how it operates today and by skipping over certain historical events, students are missing out on pieces of information like why Americans speak English and why we have the allies and enemies that we do. The French was an important point in AP US History because Britain came out of the war with a massive debt. British citizens back home were already heavily taxed, and the British government determined that the colonists should help pay for a war that had been fought to their benefit.