With a history dating as far back as the Roman Empire (back then
as the Gauls - which we include as France here - and later as the Franks),
French military exploits (and their more forgettable moments) can cover some
hundreds of years. This our ever-growing list showcases the ups and downs as
related to the French empire throughout its long-established military history -
remember this is the empire that established the knight as the mounted chivalric
warrior, produced military tacticians such as Joan of Arc and Napoleon Bonaparte
and the nation that would go on to earn military victories against many of the
principalities governing Europe and the Middle East in their time.
"...and a certain unconscious brutality of
hurry and gesture in the men is related to their inexhaustible and extraordinary
military courage. (…) Let a fool hate France."
- G.K. Chesterton, French and English
"The French soldiers are grand. They are
grand.
There is no other word to express it."
- Arthur Conan Doyle, A visit to three fronts (1916)

VICTORY |
387 B.C. |
Battle of Allia - 387 B.C.
The Gauls led by Brennus defeat the army of the Roman Republic led by
Quintus Sulpicius and go on to sack Rome itself. |
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DEFEAT |
295 B.C. |
Battle of Sentinum - 295 B.C.
The Gauls and Samniums under Egnatius are defeated by Decius Mus and Fabius
Maximus Rullianus of the Roman Republic. |
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DEFEAT |
224 B.C. |
Battle of Telamon - 224 B.C.
The out-numbered Gauls led by Concolitanus and Aneorestus are defeated by
Atiliua Regulus and Aemilius Papus of the Roman Republic. |
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VICTORY |
52 B.C. |
Battle of Gergovia - 52 B.C.
The Gallic Tribes led by Vercingetorix defeat the Roman Republic army of
Julius Caesar. |
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VICTORY |
486 A.D. |
Battle of Soissons - 486 A.D.
The Franks led by King Clovis I defeat Syagrius and the remains of the
Western Roman Empire. |
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VICTORY |
496 |
Battle of Tolbaic - 496
The Franks led by Clovis I are victorious over the Alamanni. |
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VICTORY |
507 |
Battle of Vouille - 507
The Franks led by Clovis I defeat Alaric II (the conqueror of Spain) and his
Visigoths in a decisive victory. |
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VICTORY |
732 |
Battle of Tours - 732
The Franks, led by Charles Martel, decidedly defeat a large invading Muslim
force |
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VICTORY |
773 |
Battle of Pavia - 773
Charlemagne and his Frankish forces utterly defeat King Desiderius of the
Lombards. |
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VICTORY |
885-886 |
Battle for Paris - 885-886
The Franks are victorious over the invading barbarian hordes, which had lay
seige to the city. |
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VICTORY |
1047 |
Battle of Val-es-Dunes - 1047
William, the Duke of Normandy and King Henry I of France are victorious
against the rebel Normans led by Guy of Burgundy. |
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VICTORY |
1066 |
Battle of Hastings - October 14, 1066
The Normans led by William the Conquerer defeat King Harold II and his
Anglo-Saxon army. William would go on to conquer all of England. |
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VICTORY |
1097 |
Battle of Dorylaeum - 1097
Unified Christian Crusaders defeat the Seljuk Turks. |
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VICTORY |
1099 |
Battle of Ascalon - 1099
Godfrey de Bouillon and his Crusader army defeat the Fatimids. |
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DEFEAT |
1119 |
Battle of Bremule - 1119
Louis VI of France and his invasion force is defeated by Henry I of England.
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VICTORY |
1177 |
Battle of Montgisard (1177)
King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem and Raynald de Chatillon gain a major victory
over Saladin. |
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DEFEAT |
1198 |
Battle of Gisors - September 27, 1198
Richard I of England is victorious over Philip Augustus of France. |
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DEFEAT |
1213 |
Battle of Damme - May 30-31, 1213
In a preemptive strike, King John of England sends William de Longespee to
attack the harbor of Damme, finding only light resistance, whilst King
Philip II of France and his army is away in Flanders. |
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VICTORY |
1214 |
Battle of Bouvines - July 27, 1214
Philip Augustus of France overwhelmingly defeat Germany's Otto IV and Count
Ferrand of Flanders. |
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DEFEAT |
1217 |
Battle of Lincoln - May 20, 1217
Louis VIII of France is beaten by King Henry III of England. |
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DEFEAT |
1340 |
Battle of Sluys - June 24, 1340
The English, led by Edward III of England, are victorious over the French,
led by Hugues Quieret and Nicolas Behuchet. |
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VICTORY |
1342 |
Battle of Morlaix - 1342
French forces beat back the attacking English and force a retreat. |
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DEFEAT |
1345 |
Battle of Auberoche - October 21, 1345
The French led by Louis of Poiters are defeated by the English led by Henry,
the Earl of Derby. |
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DEFEAT |
1346 |
Battle of Saint-Pol-de-Leon - June 9, 1346
The House of Blois allied with France (Charles of Blois) are defeated by the
House of Montfort allied with England (Sir Thomas Dagworth). |
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DEFEAT |
1346 |
Battle of Caen - July 26, 1346
The French and Raoul II of Brienne lose Caen to the British and Edward III
of England. |
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DEFEAT |
1346 |
Battle of Blanchetaque - August 24, 1346
The French and Gudemar du Foy fail to stop the English river crossing of the
Somme led by Edward III. |
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DEFEAT |
1346 |
Battle of Crecy - August 26, 1346
Philip VI of France falls to Edward III of England. |
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DEFEAT |
1347 |
The Siege of Calais - September 4, 1346 - August 3,
1347
The French and Jean de Fosseux surrender after nearly a year-long seige by
Edward III and the English. |
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DEFEAT |
1347 |
Battle of La Roche-Derrien - 1347
The French and Duke Charles of Blois are defeated by the English and Sir
Thomas Dagworth. |
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DRAW |
1349 |
Battle of Lunalonge - 1349
French forces force the withdrawal of the combined Anglo-Gascons. |
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VICTORY |
1351 |
Battle of Ardres - 1351
French forces lead victorious over the English. |
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DEFEAT |
1352 |
Battle of Mauron - 1352
The French come up losers as a combined Anglo-Breton force earns the
victory. |
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DEFEAT |
1356 |
Battle of Poitiers - September 19, 1356
John II of France is thoroughly beaten by Edward, the Black Prince of
England. |
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VICTORY |
1364 |
Battle of Cocherel - May 16, 1364
The French and Bertrand du Guesclin find victory against Charles II of
Navarre. |
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DEFEAT |
1364 |
Battle of Auray - September 29, 1364
Charles of Blois falls to Sir John Chandos of England and John de Montfort
of France. |
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DEFEAT |
1367 |
Battle of Najera - April 3, 1367
Pedro the Cruel and his English allies are victorious over brother Henry of
Trastamara and his French allies. |
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VICTORY |
1369 |
Battle of Montiel - 1369
The Franco-Castilian combined forces led by Henry II of Castile find victory
against a conglomerate of Portuguese, Jewish, Granadine and Marinid forces
led by Pedro of Castile. |
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VICTORY |
1372 |
Battle of La Rochelle - June 22, 1372
The French-Castilion fleet wins control of the Channel after a decisive
victory over the English. |
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VICTORY |
1373 |
Battle of Chiset - 1373
French forces, whilst laying siege to Chiset, repel an English relief force.
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VICTORY |
1382 |
Battle of Roosebeke - November 27, 1382
Louis II of Flanders and Philip the Bold lay waste to Philip Van Artevelde
and the Flemish. |
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DEFEAT |
1396 |
Battle of Nicopolis - September 25, 1396
The French Crusaders fall to the Ottoman Turks near Nicopolis. |
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DEFEAT |
1415 |
Battle of Agincourt - October 25, 1415
Jean Le Maingre and Charles d'Albret fall to Henry V of England in what
would become a massacre of their men-at-arms knights. |
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DEFEAT |
1419 |
Siege of Rouen - July 1418-January 1419
The city of Rouen and Guy le Bouteiller fall to the English siege. |
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VICTORY |
1421 |
Battle of Bauge - March 21, 1421
A combined force from France and Scotland defeat the English in one of the
earliest English defeats of the Hundred Years' War. |
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DEFEAT |
1421 |
Siege of Meaux - March 21, 1421
The city of Meaux falls to the English. |
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DEFEAT |
1423 |
Battle of Cravant - July 31, 1423
Comte de Vendome of France falls to Thomas Montacute of England in a renewel
of English-Franco hostilities. |
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DEFEAT |
1424 |
Battle of Verneuil - August 17, 1424
England and John, the Duke of Bedford, is victorious over a combined Franco-Scotish
force led by Viscount Aumale. |
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VICTORY |
1429 |
Siege of Orleans - October 12, 1428-May 8, 1429
Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc), Gilles de Rais and Jean d'Orleans of France
defeat the Earl of Shrewsbury, the Earl of Salisbury and the Duke of
Suffolk. |
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VICTORY |
1429 |
Battle of Jargeau - June 11-12, 1429
Jeanne d'Arc for France leads victorious against William de la Pole of
England. |
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VICTORY |
1429 |
Battle of Beaugency - June 16-17, 1429
Jeanne d'Arc delivers another French victory over the English. |
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VICTORY |
1429 |
Battle of Patay - June 18, 1429
La Hire and Poton de Xaintrailles of France defeat Sir John Fastolf of
England, effectively turning the tide of the Hundred Years' War. |
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VICTORY |
1429 |
Siege of Compiegne - June 18, 1429
Though Jeanne d'Arc is taken prisoner (and ultimately executed), the French
resist the English siege from Philip the Good and John II of Luxembourg. |
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VICTORY |
1435 |
Battle of Gerbevoy - 1435
French forces led by commander La Hire and Jean Poton Xaintrailles defeat
the English. |
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DEFEAT |
1444 |
Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs - August 26, 1444
French forces are forced to retreat at the hands of the determined Swiss
Pikemen. |
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VICTORY |
1450 |
Battle of Formigny - April 15, 1450
Comte de Clermont and Comte de Richemont of France defeat Thomas Kyriell of
England. |
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VICTORY |
1453 |
Battle of Castillon - July 17, 1453
Charles VII of France defeats John Talbot of England. |
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VICTORY |
1509 |
Battle of Agnadello - 1509
French forces are decidedly victorious over the Venetians. |
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VICTORY |
1515 |
Battle of Marignano - 1515
Francis I and his French forces defeat the Swiss. |
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VICTORY |
1544 |
Battle of Ceresole - 1544
French forces defeat the Spanish Imperial Army. |
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VICTORY |
1643 |
Battle of Rocroi - 1643
French forces are victorious over the Spanish. |
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VICTORY |
1645 |
Battle of Nordlingen - 1645
French forces are victorious over an army fielded by the Holy Roman Empire.
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VICTORY |
1648 |
Battle of Lens - 1648
French forces, once again, defeat the Holy Roman Empire's Imperial fielding.
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VICTORY |
1658 |
Battle of Dunes - 1658
A combined Anglo-French army is victorious over the Spanish. |
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VICTORY |
1690 |
Battle of Fleurus - 1690
This naval battle sees the French victorious over the Anglo-Dutch. |
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VICTORY |
1690 |
Battle of Beachy Head - 1690
Another naval battle sees the French victorious over their Anglo-Dutch
counterparts. |
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VICTORY |
1693 |
Battle of Landen - 1693
Marshal Luxembourg and his French forces decidedly defeat an Anglo-Dutch
contingent. |
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DEFEAT |
1708 |
Battle of Oudenarde - July 11, 1708
The Duke of Burgundy and the Duc de Vendome fall to the coalition of nations
between Britain, the Netherlands and the Holy Roman Empire. |
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VICTORY |
1712 |
Battle of Denain - 1712
French forces led by Marshal Villars are victorious over the Austrian and
Dutch forces. |
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VICTORY |
1742 |
April 20th, 1742
French forces successfully take Eger. |
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DEFEAT |
1743 |
Battle of Dettingen - June 16th, 1743
As the War of Austrian Succession, an alliance of British, Hanover and Hesse
forces defeat the French Army. |
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VICTORY |
1745 |
Battle of Fontenoy - May 11th, 1745
Maurice de Saxe and his French army defeat a contingent of
Anglo-Austrian-Dutch-Hano troops. |
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VICTORY |
1746 |
Battle of Roucoux - 1746
Maurice de Saxe is once again victorious over the Anglo-Austrian-Dutch-Hano
forces. |
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VICTORY |
1747 |
Battle of Lauffeld - 1747
Maurice de Saxe is, yet again, victorious over the Anglo-Austrian-Dutch-Hano
forces. |
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VICTORY |
1747 |
April 20th, 1756
The Galissonniere at Minorca secure the landing of Richelieu by
defeating the British Navy led by Admiral Byng. |
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VICTORY |
1757 |
Battle of Hastenbeck - 1757
French forces in Germany defeat an English army. |
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VICTORY |
1758 |
Battle of Carillon - 1758
General Montcalm and his vastly outnumbered French forces are victorious
over the British. |
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DEFEAT |
1759 |
Battle of the Plains of Abraham - September 12-13,
1759
French General Louis-Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm leads his New French
militia to defeat at the hands of the British led by General James Wolfe
outside of Quebec City in what is today Canada. Both generals are mortally
wounded in the fray. The defeat signals the beginning for the end for French
control in North America. |
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VICTORY |
1781 |
Battle of Yorktown - 1781
French forces, allied with the Americans, are victorious over Cornwallis and
his English army. |
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VICTORY |
1781 |
Battle of the Chesapeake - September 5, 1781
France, coming the aid of America's George Washington, defeats the British
in a strategic victory. |
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VICTORY |
1792 |
Battle of Valmy - September 20, 1792
France defeats the invading armies of Prussia and Austria. |
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VICTORY |
1794 |
Battle of Fleurus - 1794
Jourdan and his French forces are victorious over the Austrians. |
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VICTORY |
1794 |
Battle of the Vosges - July 13, 1794
France defeats a coalition of Prussian, Austrian and Saxon troops. |
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VICTORY |
1796 |
April 21st, 1796
Napoleon Bonaparte is victorious over the Piedmontese in Mondovi. |
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VICTORY |
1796 |
Battle of Lodi - 1796
The French beat back another force of Austrians. |
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VICTORY |
1796 |
Battle of Castiglione - 1796
The French are victorious over the Austrians yet again. |
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VICTORY |
1796 |
Battle of the Bridge of Arcole - November 17, 1796
Napoleon Bonaparte I of France leads victorious over the Austrians. |
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VICTORY |
1797 |
Battle of Diersheim, April 20th, 1797
French General Moreau is victorious against Austrian General Staray. |
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VICTORY |
1797 |
Battle of Rivoli - 1797
Napoleon's French forces win over the Austrian forces once again. |
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VICTORY |
1798 |
Battle of the Pyramids - 1798
French forces route Egyptian Mamelukes. |
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VICTORY |
1799 |
Battle of Mount Tabor - 1799
Outnumbered French forces decimate a much larger Turkish force. |
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DEFEAT |
1799 |
Battle of Trebia - June 19, 1799
French General Macdonald loses to the Russians led by General Suvorov. |
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DEFEAT |
1799 |
Battle of Novi - August 15, 1799
General Barthelemy Catherine Joubert loses to the combined forces of Austria
and Russia led by Fieldmarshal Alexander Suvorov. |
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VICTORY |
1799 |
Battle of Abukir - 1799
Napoleon's French forces defeat another Turkish force in Egypt. |
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VICTORY |
1799 |
Second Battle of Zurich - 1799
Massena and his French force routes the Russians in Switzerland. |
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VICTORY |
1800 |
Battle of Marengo - 1800
Napoleon's French forces are victorious over Melas and his Austrians. |
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VICTORY |
1800 |
Battle of Hohenlinden - December 3, 1800
A decisive French victory by General Moreau over the Austrian Empire led by
Archduke John. |
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DEFEAT |
1803 |
Haitian Independence - November 1803
Napoleon Bonaparte's army, led by Charles LeClerc is defeated by the Haitian
indigenous army, led by Dessalines. |
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DEFEAT |
1805 |
Battle of Trafalgar - October 21, 1805
Pierre Charles Silvestre de Villeneuve and his combined Franco-Spanish fleet
of 33 ships is defeated by Viscount Horatio Nelson and his smaller band of
27 British ships in this decisive naval battle of the Napoleonic Wars. |
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VICTORY |
1805 |
Battle of Austerlitz - December 2, 1805
Napoleon I of France is decidedly victorious over Russia and the Austrian
Empire. |
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VICTORY |
1806 |
Battle of Jena-Auerstedt - October 14, 1806
Napoleon I of France is victorious over Frederick William III of Prussia. |
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DRAW |
1806 |
Battle of Pultusk - December 26, 1806
Marshal Lannes of France leads against General Bennigsen of Russia in this
inconclusive engagement. |
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DRAW |
1807 |
Battle of Eylau - February 7-8, 1807
The battle results are inconclusive as Napoleon of France combating the
powers of Russia and Prussia led by Bennigsen. |
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VICTORY |
1807 |
Battle of Friedland - June 14, 1807
Napoleon Bonaparte is victorious against General Bennigsen's Russians. |
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DEFEAT |
1808 |
Battle of Bailen - July 18-22, 1808
Pierre DuPont of France loses to Francisco Castanos of Spain. |
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VICTORY |
1808 |
Battle of Tudela - November 23, 1808
Jean Lannes of France is victorious over Francisco Castanos of Spain. |
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VICTORY |
1809 |
Battle of Ucles - January 13, 1809
General Victor of France is victorious over General Venegas of Spain. |
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VICTORY |
1809 |
April 21st, 1809
Napoleon Bonaparte defeats Austrian forces in Landshut. |
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DRAW |
1809 |
Battle of Corunna - January 16, 1809
Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult is unable to prevent the British evacuation of
British troops from Spain led by englishman John Moore. |
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DEFEAT |
1809 |
Battle of Aspern-Essling - May 22, 1809
In Napoleon's first major defeat, he loses out to the determined Austrians
under Archduke Charles. |
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VICTORY |
1809 |
Battle of Ciudad-Real - March 27, 1809
A French victory for General Sebastiani against Spain under direction from
General Cartojal. |
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VICTORY |
1809 |
April 20th, 1809
Napoleon and his French forces are victorious over the Austrians in
Abensberg. |
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VICTORY |
1809 |
Battle of Eckmuhl - April 21st, 1809
The French under Davout defeat Archduke Charles and his Austrian army. |
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VICTORY |
1809 |
Battle of Wagram - July 5-6, 1809
A decisive victory for Napoleon Bonaparte over Austria's Archduke Charles.
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VICTORY |
1809 |
Battle of Medellin - 1809
Marshal Victor and his French troops decidedly defeat Cuesta and his Spanish
army. |
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VICTORY |
1809 |
Battle of Ocana - 1809
Marshal Soult and his outnumbered French forces crush the Spanish army yet
again. |
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VICTORY |
1810 |
April 21st, 1810
The French win a victory in Astorga. |
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DEFEAT |
1811 |
Battle of Albuera - May 16, 1811
France led by Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult falls to the coalition of nations
made up of Britain, Portugal and Spain. |
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DEFEAT |
1812 |
Battle of Badajoz - March 16-April 6, 1812
Surrender and retreat by the French garrison to a force of Anglo-Portuguese
is one of the bloodiest sieges of the Napoleonic Wars. |
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DEFEAT |
1812 |
Battle of Salamanca - July 22, 1812
A major French defeat for Auguste Marmont against the
Anglo-Portuguese-Spanish Alliance. |
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VICTORY |
1812 |
Battle of Smolensk - August 17, 1812
Napoleon Bonaparte of France is victorious against Russia led by Prince
Bagration. |
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VICTORY |
1812 |
Battle of Borodino - September 7, 1812
Napoleon Bonaparte of the First French Empire is victorious against Mikhail
Illarionovich Kutuzov of the Russian Empire. |
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DRAW |
1812 |
Battle of Maloyaroslavets - October 24, 1812
General Delzons of France claims a victory over the Russians led by Marshal
Kutuzov. Russians claim a strategic victory. Napoleon's stepson Eugene de
Beauharnais is involved in the battle. |
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VICTORY |
1813 |
Battle of Dresden - 1813
The outnumbered French route a larger multi-national contingent. |
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VICTORY |
1813 |
Battle of Lutzen - May 2, 1813
Napoleon I of France is victorious against Germany's Gebhard von Blucher,
Peter Wittgenstein and Gerhard von Scharnhorst |
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DEFEAT |
1813 |
Battle of Vitoria - June 21, 1813
France led by Jean-Baptiste Jourdan and Joseph Bonaparte lose out to the
Anglo-Spanish coalition led by Arthur Wellesley |
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DEFEAT |
1813 |
Battle of Klum - August 30, 1813
General Dominique Vandamme of France loses to the allied forces of Austria,
Russia, and Prussian led by Field-Marshal Barclay de Tolly. |
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DEFEAT |
1813 |
Battle of Leipzig - October 16-19, 1813
Napoleon I of France loses decisively to the coalition of Britain, Russia,
Spain, Portugal, Prussia, Austria, Sweden and several German states. |
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VICTORY |
1814 |
Battle of Vauchamps - February 14, 1814
Napoleon and his band of 18,000 Frenchmen defeat 30,000 Prussian troops in
the final battle of the Six Days Campaign. |
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VICTORY |
1815 |
Battle of Ligny - 1815
Standing as Napoleon's final victory, French forces find success over the
Prussians. |
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DEFEAT |
1815 |
Battle of Waterloo - June 18, 1815
In Napoleon's last battle, he loses out to a coalition consisting of
England, Russia, Austria and Prussia. |
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VICTORY |
1823 |
Battle of Trocadero - 1823
The French defeat the Spanish. |
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VICTORY |
1827 |
Battle of Navarino - October 20, 1827
A coalition force of French, British, Irish, Italian, Belgium, United
States, Dutch and Russian forces defeat the Ottoman Empire and Egypt in this
large-scale sea battle. |
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VICTORY |
1830 |
Invasion of Algeria - 1830
French forces invade and conquer the North African country of Algeria. |
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VICTORY |
1854 |
Battle of Balaclava - October 25, 1854
A coalition of French, British and Turkish troops defeat Russia during this
Crimean War engagement. |
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VICTORY |
1855 |
Battle of Malakoff - 1855
French forces help in overtaking the Russians. |
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VICTORY |
1859 |
Battle of Solferino - 1859
The French are victorious over the Austrians. |
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DEFEAT |
1862 |
Battle of Puebla - May 5, 1862
An outnumbered Mexican force led by Ignacio Zaragoza defeats Napoleon III's
French forces - led by Charles de Lorencez - giving Mexico its "Cinco de
Mayo". |
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DEFEAT |
1870 |
Battle of Worth - August 6, 1870
Patrice MacMahon of France falls to Crown Prince Frederich Wilhelm. |
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DRAW |
1870 |
Battle of Gravelotte - August 18, 1870
The battle results in a draw as Francois Achille Bazaine of France secures a
tactical victory and Helmuth von Moltke of Prussia secures a strategic
victory. |
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DEFEAT |
1870 |
Battle of Sedan - September 1, 1870
Napoleon III, Patrice MacMahon and Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot of France fall
to the Germans led by Wilhelm I and Helmuth von Moltke. |
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DEFEAT |
1870 |
Siege of Metz - Sept.-Oct.
1870
Besieged by superior Prussian forces, General Bazaine surrenders his army
and the fortress of Metz. |
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DEFEAT |
1870 |
Siege of Paris - Oct.-Jan.
1870
Besieged by superior German forces, and after several unsuccessful sorties,
the starving capital of France surrenders. |
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VICTORY |
1884 |
Battle of Foochow - 1884
French navy forces utterly destroy the Chinese navy. |
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VICTORY |
1914 |
First Battle of the Marne - 1914
In a battle of millions, Anglo-French forces defeat the Germans. |
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DEFEAT |
1914 |
Battle of the Frontiers - August 14-24, 1914
French and British forces fall to the Germans. |
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DEFEAT |
1914 |
Battle of the Ardennes - August 21-23, 1914
France, led by Pierre Ruffey and Fernand de Langle de Cary lose to Germany
and Albrecht, the Duke of Wurttemberg and Crown Prince Wilhelm. |
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VICTORY |
1914 |
Togoland - August 26, 1914
A Franco-British force successfully invades the German West African
protectorate of Togoland. |
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VICTORY |
1914 |
First Battle of the Marne - September 5-10, 1914
A Franco-British (largely French) force led by Joseph Joffre and John French
defeat Germany led by Helmuth von Moltke and Karl von Bulow. |
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DRAW |
1914 |
First Battle of the Aisne - September 12-15, 1914
French and British troop actions end in a draw with the Germans. |
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VICTORY |
1914 |
Battle of Ypres - October 19-November 22, 1914
French and British forces gain a victory against Germany. |
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DRAW |
1914 |
Battle of Champagne - 1915
France earn a draw against Germany |
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DRAW |
1915 |
Third Battle of Artois - September 15-November 4,
1915
France and Britain earn a draw against Germany and Crown Prince Rupprecht.
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VICTORY |
1916 |
Battle of Verdun - 1916
Casualties mount on both sides but French forces push back the German tide.
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DRAW |
1916 |
Battle of the Somme - July 1, 1916-November 18,
1916
The battle, like many others in World War I, results in a draw between
French forces and German forces. |
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VICTORY |
1917 |
Second Battle of the Aisne - April 16-May 9, 1917
A costly strategic victory greets French forces led by Robert Nivelle versus
Germany and Fritz von Below. |
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VICTORY |
1918 |
Second Battle of the Marne - 1918
A lead-French force beats back the German advance with help from British,
Italian and American forces. |
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DRAW |
1918 |
Third Battle of the Aisne - May 27-June 6, 1918
French, British and American forces halt the German advance. |
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VICTORY |
1918 |
Battle of Belleau Wood - June 1-26, 1918
France, Britain and the United States led by John J. Pershing and James
Harbord are victorious over the German Empire and Crown Prince Wilhelm. |
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VICTORY |
1918 |
Battle of Chateau-Thierry - July 18, 1918
The combined French and American force (largely American) succeeds in taking
the Germans by surprise. |
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VICTORY |
1918 |
Battle of Amiens - August 8-11, 1918
French, British, Canadian and Australian forces are victorious over Germany. |
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VICTORY |
1922 |
Battle of Maysalun - 1922
French forces rout the Syrian army. |
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DEFEAT |
1940 |
Battle of France - May 10, 1940-June 22, 1940
In defense of the French Countries, French, British, Polish, Belgium and
Dutch armies are defeated by the Axis power of Germany and Italy. |
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DEFEAT |
1940 |
Battle of Dunkirk - May 26, 1940-June 4, 1940
Britain and France are soundly beaten by the advancing German army, with
Britain eventually seeking refuge across the English Channel and France
falling to German occupation. |
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VICTORY |
1941 |
Battle of Koufra - 1941
French forces, led by LeClerc, defeat the Italians. |
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VICTORY |
1944 |
Battle of Normandy - June 6, 1944-August 25, 1944
Foreign forces made up of British, Canadian and American troops gain the
advantage on behalf of France against the Germans. Not so much a victory BY
France as a victory FOR it. |
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VICTORY |
1944 |
Operation Dragoon - 1944
Tassigny and his French forces liberate the towns of Toulon and Marseilles
from German control. |
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VICTORY |
1945 |
April 21st, 1945
French forces cross the Danube River and repel German SS counterattacks.
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DEFEAT |
1954 |
Battle of Dien Bien Phu - November 20, 1953-May 7,
1954
French forces led by Christian de Castries put up a valiant defense against
overwhelming odds, eventually surrendering to the advancing Viet Minh led by
Vo Nguyen Giap. |
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DEFEAT |
1962 |
Algerian Independence - 1962
After years of urban and rural warfare, French forces leave colonial
Algeria, earning the African country it's independence. |
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VICTORY |
1991 |
Operation Desert Storm - January 15, 1991
A limited contingent of French forces, as part of a greater global alliance,
assist in the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation. |
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VICTORY |
2003 |
Cote d'Ivoire - January 2003
French peace-keeping forces succeed in stabilization of lawless western
border. |