France

• One of the strongest and most feared powers in the 1800s under Napoleon. French people proud of their nationality.
• Farming was one of the main industries in the 1900s, with about 40% of the population working as farmers
• France beaten by Germany in Franco-Prussian War, forcing them to give up two areas, Alsace and Lorraine, which were rich in production of coal, steel, and glass.
• France in science, tech, and culture:

  • Paris central to fashion industry
  • French food revered worldwide
  • breakthroughs in disease prevention
  • Marie Curie
  • led the world in development of cinema, cars, airplanes, and motorbikes.
• France was a republic - a nation ruled by an elected president, with the help of elected politicians. Many of France's army generals also had lots of political power and high ranking government jobs.
• Many French politicians hated Germany and wanted revenge for the Franco-Prussian War. Some policies were brought in during the early 1900's were concerned with increasing the size of French military, for fear of a German attack
• The French Empire was the second largest after the British Empire
• Was beginning to fall behind other European nations in terms of production and population
• Statistics in 1914:

  • population - 41 million
  • army - 1,250,000
  • battleships - 46
  • submarines - 73
  • air force - 132 fighter planes
  • colonies - 29
  • coal - 40 million tonnes
  • steel - 5 million tonnes