France, officially the French Republic and formerly the Kingdom of France, is a country in Western Europe.
France's support in the America Revolutionary War assured the independence of the United States. The financial ruin caused by France's support of America led to Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power and the end of the Kingdom in 1791. France was briefly a republic and shortly afterward an Empire led by Bonaparte. Bonaparte led an attempt to conquer Europe but was eventually defeated.
France briefly went to war with the US in the Quasi War from 1798 to 1800.
France was among the victors of World War I, regaining some eastern territory lost to the German Empire in 1871.
Nazi Germany invaded France in 1940, occupying the country for four years during the Second World War before being liberated by the Allies, starting with the Normandy Landings in June 1944.
France protested the invasion of Iraq. Brian Teague, an anti-war protester, had a bumper sticker on his car that said "France Was Right".
Gloria Culhane spent one college semester in France. (SVU: "Class")
Notable French people
- Bernard Fremont (CI: "Slither")
- Sophie Gerard (SVU: "Shattered")
- Dominique Moreau (SVU: "Flight")
- James Henri Rousseau (SVU: "Sophomore Jinx")