What about the colonization of France itself?

The APROFED association is getting back to you this week following a question asked by one of our supporters regarding the colonization of France itself.

Although it has been more than 171 years since France took possession of New Caledonia, very few people seem to know that France itself has been colonised successively since the beginning of the Christian era.

If we consider, according to the AI , the different periods of occupation and foreign domination on French territory, here is an estimate of the corresponding durations:

Roman occupation (from -52 to around 476):

1. 1. • Begins with the conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar in -52 after the defeat of Vercingetorix at Alesia.

1. 1. • Ends in 476 with the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

• • • Duration: approximately 528 years.

Viking invasions (8th – 10th century):

1. 1. • In 911, King Charles the Simple granted them Normandy (Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte).

1. 1. • Effective occupation: about 100 years (although their influence in Normandy lasted longer)

• • • Begins in 1154 with the Plantagenet Empire (Henry II of England becomes king and controls much of the kingdom of France).

1. 1. • The Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) marked a strong English domination, with the capture of Paris and the proclamation of Henry VI of England as King of France in 1422.

1. 1. • Ends with the French reconquest in 1453.

1. 1. • Duration: about 300 years (if we take into account the Plantagenet period until the end of the Hundred Years’ War).

Domination of the Church (Middle Ages – French Revolution):

1. 1. • The influence of the Church truly began with the adoption of Christianity by Clovis in the 5th century.

1. 1. • It remained dominant until the French Revolution in 1789, when the Church gradually lost its political power.

1. 1. • Duration: approximately 1,300 years.

This latter period could even be extended until the beginning of the 20th century, to December 9, 1905 precisely, the date of the publication of the law concerning the separation of Church and State. And even though this law was passed, we still see today certain difficulties for the State to pronounce on societal issues such as abortion, marriage for all, the end of life, … for which the Church opposes.

German occupation:

5. 5. • Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)

After the defeat of France, the German Empire annexed Alsace-Lorraine in 1871.

This region remained under German domination until 1918.

Duration: 47 years

1. 1. • First World War (1914-1918)

Parts of northern and eastern France were occupied by Germany for 4 years .

1. 1. • World War II (1940-1945)

France was occupied by Nazi Germany between June 1940 and May 1945 .

Part of the country is under direct control (occupied zone), the rest under the Vichy regime, collaborating with Germany.

Duration: 5 years

Total German occupation:

• • Alsace-Lorraine under German control (1871-1918): 47 years

• • Occupation during World War I: 4 years

• • Occupation during World War II: 5 years

• • Total: approximately 56 years of German occupation

Approximate total foreign domination:

• • Romans: 528 years

• • Vikings: 100 years

• • 300 years

• • Influence of the Church: 1,300 years

If we add these periods together, we obtain approximately 2,284 years of foreign influence or occupation on French territory. This does not include the 40 years of occupation of Septimania (formerly the region of Languedoc-Roussillon), between 719 and 759, with the capture of Narbonne by the Arabs.

Of course, some of these dominations overlap, and the Church’s influence is not strictly speaking a military occupation, but it has played a key role in controlling the territory.

Having been pushed back from the countries they had enslaved during their empire, the Romans were able to reconquer the territories lost by religion, through the so-called Apostolic and Roman Catholic Church. A bit like France with its former colonies, particularly in Africa, through Françafrique, but this time the religion was money, with a view to maintaining control over these territories and their mineral wealth, the object of colonization.

France has therefore experienced periods of domination or foreign influence over almost two millennia , depending on the criteria used.

It is thus true that the 171 years of colonization of New Caledonia seem quite relative compared to the 2 millennia of occupation that France experienced and the number of deaths caused.

Indeed, according to AI, estimating the number of deaths caused by the various occupations and conflicts in France throughout history is complex, as sources are often incomplete or subject to debate. Here, however, is a rough estimate:

1. Roman occupation of Gaul (52 BC – 5th century)

The Roman occupation began with the conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar (58-51 BC).

• • Gallic Wars (58-51 BC): Gallic losses are estimated at 1 to 2 million dead (including fighting, massacres, and famine). Caesar himself mentions the death of a million Gauls and another million enslaved.

• • After the conquest: There are no precise estimates for deaths due to Roman rule, but gradual Romanization limited major conflicts after the Gallic Wars.

2. Viking, English and German occupations

Vikings (9th – 10th century)

• • The Viking raids (800-1000) caused widespread destruction, particularly in the north and west of the Frankish kingdom, but the exact number is unknown. It is estimated that tens of thousands of people were killed in the raids or enslaved.

English occupation (Hundred Years’ War, 1337-1453)

• • The Hundred Years’ War caused an estimated 2 to 3 million deaths in France, including wars, famines, and epidemics (such as the Black Death). The English occupation of France (particularly under Henry V and Henry VI) caused massacres and destruction, but it is difficult to estimate the share attributable to the English alone.

German occupations (1870, 1914-1918, 1940-1945)

• • Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) : Around 140,000 dead on the French side (including civilians and military personnel).

• • First World War (1914-1918) : Around 1.4 million French deaths (soldiers and civilians).

• • Second World War (1940-1945) : Around 600,000 French deaths , including 250,000 soldiers , 350,000 civilians (bombings, resistance fighters, deportees, massacres, etc.).

3. Wars and religious persecutions in France

• • Cathars (13th century, Albigensian Crusade) : Around 200,000 dead .

• • Wars of Religion (16th century, 1562-1598) : Between 2 and 4 million dead (battles, massacres, famines, epidemics).

• • Revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685) : Thousands of Protestants executed or died in captivity, more than 200,000 exiled .

• • French Revolution (anti-religious persecutions, 1789-1799) : Several tens of thousands of priests and religious figures killed or deported (e.g. War in the Vendée: 150,000 to 200,000 dead ).

Conclusion

In summary, the major occupations and conflicts caused several million deaths in France, with very variable results depending on the period:

• • Gallic Wars: 1 to 2 million dead.

• • Viking raids: tens of thousands dead.

• • Hundred Years’ War: 2 to 3 million dead.

• • Franco-German Wars: approximately 2.1 million dead.

• • Religious conflicts in France: between 2 and 4 million dead.

These are estimates, and the exact figures remain subject to debate.

Compared to a period of 171 years, the number of deaths would be between 600,000 and 900,000, which is, in absolute terms, more than the losses recorded by the Kanak population during French colonization, even though extinction was not far off for them.

It should be noted, however, that from the conflict with England until today, a large part of the French deaths are due to their own leaders and their decisions and not as a result of any foreign invasions which were for the most part the response and the consequence of a French action at first. In the interest of a State for which its population has no other interest than to serve its interests, it is thus between 6 and 9 million French who died in vain , demonstrating a certain degree of cruelty that the Kanak independence supporters understood and integrated very well, by deciding not to resume the armed struggle, which should also be done by the non-independence loyalists, by moderating their extremist remarks, wrongly thinking they were protected. Recent French history proves the contrary (example of Algeria).

We wish you a good read and remind you that federalism is the only solution to reconcile unity in diversity.