Learning about modern France involves closely studying the history of France and the wars that shaped the country. A brief history of France would start with the Neanderthals that inhabited the area as early as 200,000 BC, with the first homo sapiens occupying Europe approximately 50,000 years ago.

A large region known as Gaul covered most of modern-day France, Germany, and Italy, and was inhabited by many Celtic and Belgae tribes. This area was eventually conquered by the Roman Empire and divided into provinces, which were then conquered by the Frankish kingdoms.

During the Middle Ages, France was largely decentralized and ruled by regional princes who enjoyed national status in all but name. Filling a void in central power and bringing France out of the Middle Ages was the Capetian Dynasty which started with Hugh Capet. Then came the Valois Kings, which started the Hundred Years War. This time in history saw the Black Death as well as several civil wars, a very difficult time for France.

The Long Italian Wars mark the early beginning of modern France, and this is where several of the regions of France begin to be outlined. During this time in history, the Protestant Revolution challenged the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. France was facing powerful enemies on all borders, including the Spanish Hapsburgs as well as Germany, Austria, Rome, and the Dutch. France faced its worst battles over religion, including the massacre of the Huguenots and the 30 Years War. The Franco-Dutch War broke out under Louis XIV, which started another long string of wars fought throughout this time in history.

The French Revolution is a tumultuous and well-documented time in the history of France. Many peasants in France, fed up with the tyrannical rule and inbalance of wealth and power in their country, overthrew the monarchy and executed many rulers with the iconic guillotine. The Napoleonic era, most readily identified by the Napoleonic Wars, brought even more wars to France and the vast expansion of its territory.

Then came the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, which started off a chain reaction that eventually drew most of Europe, France included, into the First World War (WWI). The western front of the war was fought mostly in France and was known for its particularly violent battles. Between the end of the first World War and the second World War was a period in France’s history known as the “mad years,” which were characterized by… more war. Rounding out the history of modern France is a major involvement in WWII and a minor involvement in the Cold War, an arms race between the US and USSR.