France in WW1: Key Events Every French Learner Should Know

World War I, also known as la Grande Guerre, has reshaped modern French life, our language, our culture, and our very sense of who we are as a people. From the “Miracle” of the Marne to the long bloody months in the Verdun trench, from the 1914 battle of the Marne to the signing of the armistice on November 11, 1918, these memories and images are still present for most French citizens today.

If you’re a student of French, it is important to have a basic knowledge of this conflict, as it will clarify why 11 novembre is such a big deal, and why virtually every commune, no matter how small, has a war monument (monument aux morts). This period in history is fundamental to understanding French literature and culture.

What Made France Central in WW1?

The balance of power in early twentieth-century Europe in the run-up to 1914 was anything but a constant. The French were in a very sullen mood, angered that they had been defeated and seen their industrial sector “Alsace-Lorraine” given to her enemy Germany in 1870 and yearning to hit out at this rival which was growing in both industrial power and strength.

To prevent this happening, they came to an agreement with both Britain and Russia, forming a Triple Entente, a military alliance of friendships that was aimed at controlling Germany.

Why was France targeted first, you ask? They stood in the path of the German Empire’s quest for world domination of Europe. In an act of desperate aggression, war broke out and the Germans’ put the Schlieffen Plan into action, aimed to take out France early in the war by storming through neutral Belgium before turning its eye to the vast armies of Russia. France was now forced to react swiftly to avoid disaster for Paris.

The defense of the French soil was not merely a military imperative, but an existential struggle for the very survival of the nation. Forcing the enemy out from French soil soon evolved into a popular, emotionally charged, appeal: the defense of the patrie. And, all strata of society in the French population from the deep countryside to the crowded cities of Paris and other big centers were readily aroused.

Understanding this fact will be crucial for any student of French, and the 1914-1918 narrative provides a great deal of insight as to why France is so proud of the values of Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité. The war’s effects indelibly shaped the French language, psyche and indeed national identity.

Discovering why France, indeed was the heart of the Western front will give you greater respect for the resilience, history, culture, and literature that have contributed to the French you study and love today.

How Did the Schlieffen Plan Affect France?

This ambitious and risky plan by Germany’s chief strategist was an attempt to stave off a major two-front conflict. Their idea: a crushing, lightning strike through Belgium, to trap and quickly overrun France.

They wanted to take the French capital of Paris in a few short weeks, then turn all of their fighting forces east to face the Russians. They believed their speed through their neutral neighbour would overwhelm the French, who would view their defenses as an unimportant impediment.

The invasion by German soldiers’ troops into Belgian territory in August 1914 was a brutal and bloody shock. As German army made inroads into Belgium, it drew French soldiers north to fight off the gray horde which seemed destined for Paris. This well-rehearsed but inflexible plan was doomed for many reasons, including strong Belgian resistance and the swift movement of French and British army to counter the German threat.

The war finally did not go according to plan in the First Battle of the Marne where counterattacking exhausted French soldiers were able to bring the German advance to a halt. The two armies went to earth and churned the landscape into a static, jagged tapestry of trench networks that doomed the continent to four years of attrition and defined this war not as a quick war won, but a protracted grind.

The First Battle of the Marne: Why Was It a Turning Point?

By the beginning of September 1914, France’s position looked desperate. Following the breakneck speed of the Schlieffen Plan, German troops were now approaching Paris, their massive field artillery groaning just over the hill. The French government was already preparing to relocate to Bordeaux, and it looked as though France would soon fall.

The initial phase of the battle began when French and British troops launched a combined assault in a last-ditch attempt to turn and counter-attack the wide swing of the German right flank. The Battle of the Marne was fought in the river valley and became a violent free-for-all. It led to the famous occasion when hundreds of Parisian taxicabs known as the “Taxis of the Marne” were used to ferry reinforcements of the French army to the battlefront.

This battle was to be the most important. The French and Allied troops, through immense courage, managed to create a breach in the German lines forcing the army to withdraw. The Germans’ retreat immediately put an end to their momentum and save Paris, destroying their dream of a fast, convincing victory.

In the immediate aftermath both sides raced for the coast, trying to out-flank each other until that option ran out and they dug for safety. Gone was the open and mobile war of the first month, replaced by a zig-zagging defensive trench network hundreds of miles in length. The Marne turned the war into a brutal static war of attrition that was to last four years. In short, the Marne proved that the battle was a test of will and established itself in French history as the battle of French courage and resistance.

Life in the Trenches: What Did French Soldiers Experience?

Poilus, as French soldiers were known, soon found trench life to be a bitter reality after the jingoism of 1914. The trenches were more than fortifications; they were essentially houses underground. Poilus lived in a monotonous routine with brief, intense moments of shock, suffering under a burden of mud that was a feet high, deep, and bitter with cold.

Daily life was characterized by deprivation and hardship. Food was generally cold and monotonous, such as tinned beef and hardtack biscuits, accompanied by ration wine which offered much-needed respite. The air in the dug-outs was cold and damp, the trenches were home to rats and vermin, and although surrounded by an unremitting assault from enemy shelling, camaraderie flourished and in spare moments soldiers wrote letters to home or played cards.

The emotional burden of the war was very great too. The endless booming of the artillery pieces and not knowing what will be “over the top ” lead to a kind of hidden worry all the time. But this collective stress has deeply marked French language and culture as well, and we even talk about the l’argot des tranches (“slang for trenches”), slang used in the trenches by french soldiers which entered french common language, due to the closeness of all of these soldiers. Learning about this daily hell of the poilu help us to know more about the tenacity of this moment of history.

Verdun and Somme: How Did These Battles Shape France’s Fate?

The Battle of Verdun: ultimate symbol of French tenacity Nearly ten months long, it was a bloody war of attrition. Verdun remains the icon of the famous declaration “Ils ne passeront pas”. For France, it was not only a battle objective but a national holy war of resistance.

Meanwhile the Battle of the Somme was a large offensive launched by the Allies to assist the French suffering at Verdun. The aim of this battle was to smash the front of Germany with pure industrial might, force and concentration of power. It didn’t make a break through quickly, but it did force Germany to divide its men across several front’s.

French families were left mourning huge numbers of their dead, scarred forever. These battles were crucial however, to weakening the German reserves and strengthening Allied resolve, marking a protracted attritive struggle defining France as a people that could stick it out, through anything.

The Home Front in France: How Did Civilians Support the War?

As stalemate settled over the front lines, victory was achieved or denied away from the fighting on the home front. French civilians transformed themselves into the industrial and administrative backbone of the nation at war. As millions of men were in uniform, the roles they had occupied now passed to women, who took their places in munitions factories operating large machines and handling complicated filing systems and also became valiant nurses.

Daily life altered completely as the nation geared up for total war: vital products ran out forcing a strict regime of rationing and mass food shortages to be implemented that required the population to live a Spartan lifestyle. Out of this however grew an immense solidarity, the population gathered together in order to aid their loved ones fighting out at the front and the media would be flooded with the idea of ‘union sacrée’, a sacred national union of political solidarity and sacrifice.

These years sparked major cultural changes as well. Women entered the workforce of necessity, beginning the subtle reshaping of gender roles that would find full flower in the post-war boom. France as a society was changed irrevocably by the experiences of these years of shared hardship. A spirit of endurance forged during these years carried the country long after the shooting stopped.

How Did WW1 Influence the French Language and Culture?

The War of 1914–1918 transformed the French language beyond recognition forever. The front line trenches served as a lingua Franca generator: men hailing from the furthest-flung regions of France, with a provincial dialect all their own – lived in close proximity with one another on a daytoday basis.

Thus was born the tough, creative vocabulary that characterized soldiers’ conversations; a lexicon punctuated with words like ‘pinard’ to denote wine and ‘brêler’ to describe the act of eating. The rich expressions and slang spoken in the trenches became part of the language in a lasting, lively fashion.

Culturally the effects are similar the works of literature, film, painting, etc moved from their optimism that they held before the war and explored deeper, more philosophical questions about the human condition. French artists and writers explored these traumatic and painful experiences, artists expressed themselves in new styles that allowed for visceral emotional responses and social critique.

Learning this rich, varied history is one way to truly get to the root of french as spoken and learned today. If you want to learn the more intricate subtleties in spoken and written french, in an organized and immersive program that guides you through all these dimensions visit La Forêt French Class.

Learning these vocabulary from its origins in time of war helps students to get more than an understanding of word meanings – it gives an understanding of the inner strength of the French culture. Learning language with reference to its origin in war helps to get the experience of the soul of the French character.

What Was France’s Role in Ending WW1 & the Treaty of Versailles?

The late war period French forces in this period were central in enabling the Allied push forward that at the end of the war finally ruptured German lines. France, aided by its Allies, forced the tired German forces onto the back foot during the “Hundred Days Offensive” in the war’s closing stages.

The constant onslaught made it too much for Germany and forced the signing of the Armistice in the Compiègne forest on November 11 1918, to finally quiet the “Great War.”

Victory placed France in an influential position in determining the post-war order at the Treaty of Versailles. The French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau played a crucial role in the negotiations with his tough approach against the future of Germany, securing severe treaty conditions for Germany such as returning of Alsace Lorraine and heavy reparations.

Clemenceau succeeded to a certain extent to ensure that the treaty will reflect French national desire to achieve security and justice for France, redrawing the maps of Europe for the years to come.

End Summary

France’s part in World War I was one of the most memorable trials and a time when the nation found unity once again. As every French student looks back at the past to deepen his or her language knowledge, looking back on French history offers the perfect context for understanding what is the heart and soul of the language.

Learning the history of this nation means experiencing and embracing the very real nature of what it means to learn French, one which carries the resilience that lives on today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What happened in WW1 in France?

Ans: The impact of WWI on France proved to be profound, forever remembered as the “war in the trenches” and a period of terrible national loss. After successfully blocking the German advance at the Battle of the Marne, France faced a prolonged conflict, characterized by the brutal and static trench warfare.

Q2. Why did France enter WW1?

Ans: France went to war mostly because it had to defend its sovereignty and its ententes as part of the Triple Entente since the invasion of neutral Belgium was a direct affront by Germany. France had the responsibility and obligation to defending its land and gaining back its territory. At La Forêt French Class, we can help you speak like they did and understand why this was an important point in the history of the conflict.

Q3. Who ruled France in WW1?

Ans: Key leaders of France in the war: Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau took over in 1917; nicknamed “The Tiger” he became one of the strongest political figures of the era; his negotiation of the Treaty of Versailles is a key issue in history.