| “ | Honour and Fatherland
— French Army motto
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” |
The French Army, officially the Ground Army (French: Armée de Terre, literally 'Army of Land'), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. The success of the French Army in various colonial wars shaped France into the superpower it is today and saw action in most of the great wars between the superpowers of the world.
The modern French Army can be traced back to the French Revolution after the rebels replaced the Royal Army with the Revolutionary Army. During the time of Napoleon Bonaparte, the Emperor reformed the Revolutionary Army into the Grande Armeé which he leads in the titular Napoleonic Wars.
Today the French Army mostly partake in UN peacekeeping operations and anti-terrorism missions within the Middle East.
Battle vs. Imperial Russian Army (by Deathblade 100)[]
The Trenches, 1918
Poilus: 
x15
Frontovik: 
x15
Fifteen Poilus patrol a stretch of occupied trenches, their horizon blue uniforms standing out in the middle of the mud. Many of them cleaned or reloaded their Lebel M1886 rifles, while several maintained their Chauchat LMGs. In the distance, fifteen Frontovik soldiers watched the French line from their own trenches. The Russian officer unholstered his Nagant revolver and gave the signal to attack. Twelve of the Frontovik rose up, bayonets fixed to their Mosins. The whistle blew, and the Russians charged towards the French. As the Russians got within range, the French machine gunners opened fire; the rapid fire from the Hotchkiss M1914 dropping two of the Russians.
One of the Russians threw a M1914 Lantern Grenade into the machine gun nest; the blast killing one and injuring another. As the Russians entered the French defence, two of the Russians were caught by Lebel and Chauchat fire. A Russian machine gunner opened fire with his Madsen, fatally wounding two of the Poilus. Several of the Russian soldiers opened fire with their Mosins, killing a further two French soldiers. A French soldier drew a French Nail and repeated stabbed one of the Frontovik. The Russian officer gave the order to fall back. As the Russians withdrew, a shot from an RSC-1917 rifle caught one in the back.
The French Poilus prepared themselves for the counterattack. A whistle is blown, and the Poilus clamber over the parapet into No Man's Land. Several F1 Grenades are thrown at the Russian trench, killing one and wounding several. As the French approached the line, a PM-M1910 opens fire, cutting several of the Poilus to pieces. One of Russians lunged forward impaling a Poilus with his Mosin bayonet. The French officer fired his revolver into the trench, killing one of the Frontovik. A Chauchat opens fire, killing two Frontovik.
A Fedorov Avtomat opens fire, catching one of the Poilus in the hail of 6.5 Arisaka bullets. The cracks of Mosins and Lebels fill the air as both sides struggle over the Russian trench. As Poilus keep advancing, a Russian Madsen gunner opens fire, killing three more of the French army. A thrust from a French Nail cuts down another Russian. The Russian officer opens fire with his Nagant, killing one of the Frenchmen and injuring another. The French Chauchat gunner continues to fire his machine gun until it malfunctioned. Picking up a Lebel, the French machine gunner fires several shots, killing two more Russians before a burst of Madsen fire cut the Poilus down.
The remaining Russians yelled "S Nami Bog!" in victory.
Expert's Opinion[]
Despite the Poilus' better equipment for trench warfare, the Frenchmen were simply overwhelmed by the Imperial Russian firepower. The slow firing rate and low capacity of the Hotchkiss M1914 and Chauchat M1915 were out matched by the faster firing Madsen and PM-M1910 machine guns. What cost the French the win was their slow reloading Lebel rifles and the low capacities of the machine guns and RSC-1917 semi-automaticc rifle compared to their Russian equivalents.