The French Century - A Ricky AAR 1836 -

[kingmbutu]

And don't forget that now the French have unlimited access to all-they-can-eat waffles

Very nice opening moves.

Ah yes.. the waffles

[Nikolai]

Waffles?

[Olifranc]

hmmmm yup, who doesn't like waffles
but never neglect beeeeer.

[kingmbutu]

hmmmm yup, who doesn't like waffles
but never neglect beeeeer.

But that would mean an invasion of Germany

[stnylan]

I must say that professor does a good job at propagandising. He must be a helluva poker play to be able to say that France was forced into those wars with a straight face

[Snake IV]

You were supposed to tell and provide a link when you strted a new AAR. You have that I at this early point made one of my very few short visits to Vicky AAR forum.

Pure layout wise you are ages ahead of what you did in Russia. This use of blue and white text is very nice indeed, couldn't have done it better myself. However, as I am on nitpick mode I must point out that the first line is highly unessesary and shouldn't be there, as well as it could have been good to have a pic in the first post. I think you should take away the first line and make the The French Century line much bigger instead, but don't care about the pic part as it doesn't fit the story.

[kingmbutu]

You were supposed to tell and provide a link when you strted a new AAR. You have that I at this early point made one of my very few short visits to Vicky AAR forum.

Pure layout wise you are ages ahead of what you did in Russia. This use of blue and white text is very nice indeed, couldn't have done it better myself. However, as I am on nitpick mode I must point out that the first line is highly unessesary and shouldn't be there, as well as it could have been good to have a pic in the first post. I think you should take away the first line and make the The French Century line much bigger instead, but don't care about the pic part as it doesn't fit the story.

Well yes.. .you are nit picky, but such nit-pickery is good for me.

[kingmbutu]

I must say that professor does a good job at propagandising. He must be a helluva poker play to be able to say that France was forced into those wars with a straight face

Propaganda? What propaganda? Isn't it obvious that the French were forced into war by the nefarious Dutch?

[VILenin]

Yes... obvious.

What I want to know is what the heck Britain's been doing while France went romping through the low countries! After all, Belgium was their artificial construct.

[kingmbutu]

Yes... obvious.

What I want to know is what the heck Britain's been doing while France went romping through the low countries! After all, Belgium was their artificial construct.

The Brits have been quiet. Since I invaded before Belgian independence was officially complete, there is no guarantee of independence.

[Corbett]

Invading Belgium? I suppose you're going for the rest of the left bank of the Rhine...

[Duke of Wellington]

Nice update. Glad to see some people actually do their reading

[kingmbutu]

Corbett: Maybe, although that would entail a war with Prussia, which I am not prepared for at this point, but in the future perhaps.

Duke of Wellington: Thanks for the comment. The "Wellington kid" is a good foil for our somewhat slacker narrator Atta

[kingmbutu]

From the book, Our Sea: French maritime supremacy in the Western Mediterranean (one of our assigned readings in the early part of the course)

"French maritime and commercial interests were important considerations in her early colonial expansion. The French navy was one of the greatest in the world, although dwarfed both in size and quality by her British counterpart. Nevertheless, France maintained significant maritime forces in the Western Mediterranean and ports along the North African coast. These were areas of historic concern to the French nation.

In addition to these naval concerns, commercial interests in North West Africa led to war against the nations of Aldjazair, Tunisia, Tripoli, and Morocco. For the most part, these lands were desolate, under populated, and, from the French perspective, under utilized. For the native peoples of North Africa, annexation by France was a significant step forward in their material, social, cultural, and economic development. They were the first of the benighted peoples of the world to benefit from the rich inheritance of France during the modern era.”

I wonder how my great great-grandfather might feel about this description. I am certainly proud to be a Frenchman, and glad that my future isn’t confined to herding sheep on the backside of some Saharan mountain as my fore fathers was. But, I’m not sure my great great-grandfather would feel the same. He was one of those “benighted people” after all…

“The French nation was on the march and dominance of the western Mediterranean was critical. The wars against the North African powers, if they could be called that, were brief. Their outclassed and antiquated armies fought with élan, and little else, but were unable to match the vigor and strength of France.

Despite the overwhelming victories seen by the French in the deserts and mountains of North Africa, cultural and political concerns mitigated against total annexation of these states, at least in the initial stages of French colonialism. In exchange for the cession of hostilities and promises to restrain revolutionary tendencies within their borders, each country was allowed to maintain independence and sovereignty over parts of their homeland. In time, these nations would fail to keep their commitments, and therefore draw the French back into war.”

I understand why my people were finally annexed entirely to France. I have heard the stories in my own family of “resistance” against the French intruders, years after Aldjazair had pledged peace. I don’t know if I should feel proud of their resistance or shame at their stubborn ignorance. They did not know then what I know now…

[VILenin]

Intersting internal conflict in our protagonist between his Arab roots and his French national identity.

[Duke of Wellington]

This course is not exactly unbiased in it's presentation is it?

[Dante Essex]

I really like the format you've presented this story in, it really conjures a nice atmosphere, and i'm looking forward to when our protagonist realize that he's beeing feed so much propaganda that Goebbels would be proud!

[coz1]

I like the professor's certainty as he discusses the French victories. Yes, it is biased, but then so are all professors.

[stnylan]

What's quite fun is the way in which our student is, at times like the above update, more or less fully supportive of the French point of view.

[kingmbutu]

Dr. Renault was, as I have said, an excellent teacher. I, however, was not an excellent student. Even though the class was fascinating to me, and I attended lecture regularly, my marks did not always show it. Indeed in those days, I got better marks for my dark tan (a wondrous by-product of my Arab roots) than for my class essays. Too bad the ladies who evaluated my tan were not the ones evaluating my schoolwork. In any event, back to the lectures.

“The latter decade of the 1830’s was a remarkable era of cultural progress in France. As it always had, France drew together great thinkers, philosophers, and artists drawn to Paris by the generous encouragement of the bourgeois government. Industrial, economic, and even military technology took a backseat to the pursuit of esoteric theories of rationalism, empiricism, and state & government studies. This cultural outpouring happened…”

An interruption from one of the students; Corbett was his name I believe…

“M. Le professor, a question if you please?

“Yes, M. Corbett.” I was a bit surprised Dr. Renault allowed the interruption as most professors, especially at UAN, just ignored student’s inquiries.

“Thank you, sir. I was wondering sir how it was that France maintained such a cultural establishment in the midst of territorial expansion. Would not she have benefited from a focus on industrialization, or perhaps even militarization,”

Snickering began to be heard through the room as Corbett asked his question. It was a ridiculous question after all, but Dr. Renault entertained it. “… uh, I mean… should not we have …, uh…” Dr. Renault mercifully cut him off before our stifled chuckles became peals of laughter.

“M. Corbett, where did you complete your secondary?” Dr. Renualt did not look at him as he asked the question, preferring instead to focus on the pungent pipe he was lighting. “In Algeria, sir.” “And your primary?” Corbett looked at the ground then. “In Guiana, sir.” His words were barely a whisper. “Come again M. Corbett?” “Guiana, sir.”

Dr. Renault looked at him over the top of his glasses while inhaling deeply from his pipe. “Yes, of course.” Those words explained everything, or at least were meant to, although I confess, I did not know then (nor am I sure now) exactly what he meant to convey.


“Class, M. Corbett asks a question that gives me occasion to highlight the superiority of French thought even in those days. For us to focus on military technology at the expense of culture would have made us… well armed barbarians, not unlike those to the east. (by this he meant the Germans of course) Undue concern for wealth & industry would make us like that omnipresent nation of shopkeepers. The French have always chosen the superior way. Culture, the arts, literature; these are the things that raise the stature, élan, honor, and dignity of a nation in the eyes of the world. To choose any other path, any other way, is to depart from the greatest and best traditions of the noble French nation. It can not be other than that we should lead the world in the noblest traditions and arts of mankind. It is the best that is in man; all else follows from that.”

All of us sat in stunned silence and Corbett stood there silently; all of us absorbing what we’d heard. Then Corbett began to clap, and we all joined in. Before I knew it, we were all on our feet. Vive la France! Vive la France! It was a great day.