freeandfun.............
No, it is not an oxymoron ! You are the moron !
All the Maréchal put in this list are the greatest warriors of their times.
When your country was ther first might of Europe, and of the world, you have to have great military leaders and excellent fighters.
For you they are maybe ridiculous, but for the France's ennemies, not at all, dear.
Said, i"'ll try to answer exhaustivly to your questions.
Talleyrand : as you said, he was an opportunist, but also a great great negociator. One of the most bright man of his time. At the Vienna Congress (
), the 2 most important men were : Alexandre I, the russian Tsar, and Talleyrand.
He saved France from a debellatio, becasue be sure that the winner were a little bit nervous against France
.
For Georges Clémenceau : not the perfect guy, he was in some scandals, like the scandal of the Panama canal with Ferdinand de Lesseps, but was, during the WWI, a real leader. He gave to the Nation courage and faith for the victory, and you know that it is really important. He went on the front line to visit the soldiers. His nickname was the "Tiger", it speak for itself.
It was the french Churchill of the Great War.
For Charles VII : He has his place here, of course : Chalres VII le Victorieux : the Victorious, the Winner.
He's the Knig who won the 100 Years war. Jeanne d'Arc gave to the french the feeling of unity - they were a french nation, but divised at this time between the pro-Charles, the Armagancs, the pro-Burgundy, the pro-english.... - .
Charles continue in this way, and began the reconquest of his kingdom. jeanne took Orleans in 1429, Charles reorganized the Army, and creat maybe the first permanent army, the Royal Army. ( during the middle age, the armies were not permanent, the king ask to his lords, his vassals, who gives some people, some soldiers : the OST. Charles took some ordonnances to reorganized the army.)
He also took and used guns. Charles de Valois had proove that the guns were efficiently against the English in 1324, Charles VII also.
He won Formigny and Castillon, in 1450 and 1453, and then, the defeat of the English was total. France took back all of the lost territories, except the city of Calais.
He's one of the greatest king.
Clovis, the first King of the Merovingian dynasty. A frank king, and he convert himself and his people to the Christianism, and then won the help of the Christianity. (496)
He's one of the Pilgrim father of France.
It is why, because it was the first to convert to the christianims, France is called the Elder Daughter of the Church, and the King of France was called : "King-very-Christian" ("Roi très chrétien") (the spanish kings were the "King very Catholic")
Robespierre : it was a dictator, but one of the most important men of the French Revolution, and really bright.
he was an ultra republican, and was the foundator of the Terror, from 1793 to 1794. It was awful.
But he is undoubtly a great french, a famous french.
Things may be different wihtout him.
I'm not a fan of him, be sure of that, but he was all the same a great French.
France has a long history and lot of agitators. but it is not our specificity.
the British made a revolution and cut the head of the king before us (1649).
In France it was unconceivable ! the person of the king was too sacred !!!! the murderer of Henri III, Jacques Clément, and the murderer of Henri IV, ravaillac, were fanatics. And Ravaillac's punishment was awful. A demonstration of cruauty, for the example.
And I take the "agitated" side of france as a sign of life. The country, the Nation is alive, and involves, reacts, protests....
But when the Nation, the country, france is in danger, there is a consensus, and everybody stop the oppositions, to fight the ennemy (except during 100 years war, during some decades. but finally, the Nation was regrouped behind Charles VII) (look at the WWI, and the Sacred Union of the politicians : everybody behind the government, even if some deputies or politicians hated them).
If there are people you don't know in the list, don't hesite to ask me about them, there would be no problem
