The French corner : Joan or Napoleon or Louis XIV

[Schee]

I hesitate between Napoleon, Jeanne d'Arc and Charles de Gaulle...

Napoléon was certainly a great leader, as he conquered most of Europe, and Charles de Gaulle freed France from Germany (and from the USA...), but I would prefer seeing Jeanne d'Arc than these guys in my games, though I play more games as France than against...

Oh and "That crazy guy who predicted the future" from the 1st page, isn't it Nostradamus ?

[gsmoove23]

I think Charlemagne is gaining! GO CHARLIE GO CHARLIE GO!!!

Schee, How do I get your signature but with the colors reversed and the letters USA.

Ah forget it, I feel weird enough posting with this flag attached everytime.

[Zero]

Napoleon rules for the simple fact that it reminds me of Civ I and the midi music of french anthem.

[Childeric]

well, if Johan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc) had not help France win the 100 year war, this whole thread would be written in...

FRENCH!

some historical facts:
that 100 year war was caused because the french rulers did not want an english king to become king of France too, even though he was closest to the title. So they invented a law, called "salic law", supposedly from the Clovis times, where it is said that only heirs of male lineage can get the job - and the english king was the closest heir of the dead french king, but through a woman.

then war, a dynastic war.

but at that time, England was a small and poor country, of which the majority of the ruling elit spoke french. Only the peons sticked to that german language called english.

if the English king had won that war, or had been allowed to become king of France as well, french would have become the sole language of the englo-french country.

England would have spoken french, and then the "insurgents" would have been "insurgés", the "thirteen colonies" the "treize colonies" etc etc...

but english lost that war, so they get back to their small kingdom and made what they could, and peons' english was soon spoken everywhere as more and more true english people become elits too, and french language was loathed and forgotten.

history is an amazing thing...

[Childeric]

oh, and I voted for Clovis!

for all french pupils learn that it was Clovis who founded France, on the remains of the Roman empire on Gaul. Before Clovis, there is only Gaul and Romans. After him, the history of France begins.

Even though Clovis was from a germanic tribe, the Franks, he was a leader, fought Siagrius, and all the other local leaders in Gaul, including the Wisigoths in south west... he MADE France, even though I dont think that name was invented yet. He chose the catholic faith (a politically wise thing to do at the time) and ruled over a kindgom which has become France.

French itself comes from a mix of latin spoken by illiterate germanic.

Napoleon, Louis XIV, de Gaulle all were ruler of an already built country.

I like the idea of making the actual founder of a country the Prime Leader of that civilization in Civ )

[Childeric]

As for Charlemagne, he was not really a french leader. He ruled all Europe, was an Emperor, has his capital city in Aachen, Germany (Aix la Chapelle)... he is more a father of Europe than of France alone...

France has been formed with the western part of his Empire, Germany from the eastern part...

[Kramerman]

but english lost that war, so they get back to their small kingdom and made what they could, and peons' english was soon spoken everywhere as more and more true english people become elits too, and french language was loathed and forgotten.

French isn't forgotten, silly... loathed, perhaps, but not fogotten

[Datajack Franit]

Jeanne d'Arc rulz

[Chilean President™]

Jean Marie Le Pen

[Centauri18]

From a Civ POV, Napoleon. And I agree about DeGaulle. He was an ass.