1919 - World War I comes to an end with the Treaty of Versailles.
1939 - World War II begins.
1940 - Germany invades France.
1944 - Allied forces invade at Normandy pushing back the German Army.
1945 - The Germany army surrenders and World War II comes to an end in Europe.
1959 - Charles de Gaulle is elected the President of France.
1981 - Francois Mitterrand is elected president.
1992 - France signs the Maastricht Treaty creating the European Union.
1998 - France wins the World Cup soccer championship.
2002 - The Euro replaces the French Franc as the official currency of France.
Brief Overview of the History of France
The land that today makes up the country of France has been settled for thousands of years. In 600 BC, a portion of the Greek Empire settled in Southern France and founded the city that is today Marseille, the oldest city in France. At the same time, Celtic Gauls were becoming prominent in other areas of France. The Gauls would sack the city of Rome in 390 BC. Later, the Romans would conquer Gaul and the area would become a productive part of the Roman Empire until the 4th century.
The Eiffel Tower
In the 4th century, the Franks, which is where the name France comes from, began to take power. In 768 Charlemagne united the Franks and began to expand the kingdom. He was named the Holy Roman Emperor by the Pope and is today considered the founder of both the French and German monarchies. The French monarchy would continue to be a great power in Europe for the next 1000 years.
In 1792, the French Republic was proclaimed by the French Revolution. This didn't last long, however, as Napoleon grabbed power and made himself Emperor. He then proceeded to conquer most of Europe. Napoleon was later defeated and in 1870 the Third Republic was declared.
France suffered greatly in both World War I and World War II. During World War II France was defeated and occupied by the Germans. Allied forces liberated the country in 1944 after four years of German rule. A new constitution was set up by Charles de Gaulle and the Fourth Republic was formed.
