The Incredible Story of the French Navy in WW1

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Much to the dismay of Admiral Boué de Lapeyrère, seconded by Durand-Viel, the French Navy started to re-emerge in 1912 from a long eclipse, a poor state which saw it fall to the 4th rank. In between the American, Russian, German, and Japanese Navy all raised to new levels. What happened ? First off, internal reasons prevented either a strong coordination or strong will as this period following the fall of the second empire (Franco-prussian War) and the Paris Commune in 1870, was strife with political instability.
Indeed the third republic was a parliamentary regime plagues by weak governments and fragile alliances in perpetual recomposition. The waltz of ministerial offices and therefore the secretariats in the Navy there were many in the turnaround of the technical choices and orientations. Indeed decisions were taken, to be later cancelled. Added to this the “Jeune école” (“Young School”) largely theorized naval warfare aspects, traducing into singular battleships and cruisers, to the point that the french fleet in the 1880-1890s was called by derision the “prototypes navy”.
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[@HiddenHistoryYT]

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[@MaPY78]

Why "La Royale" for our "Marine Nationale" ? Because, in 1789, the central Administration of the french Navy changed its localisation to "rue Royale" in Paris.

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Thanks for watching & have a great weekend :)

[@christianfournier6862]

It is a double pun. True that the Ministry of the French Navy was (up to the XXIst century) located rue Royale, in a superb building dating from Louis XV. But the Marine Nationale was also operated by an Officer Corps studded with noblemen and - while disciplined and respectful of its Republican rulers - quite nostalgic of its Royal and Imperial (IInd Empire) times of greatness. This nostalgia was also the case for a majority of pre-1914 French Army officers, but to a lesser extent. And on board of their vessels, Navy officers had a 'regal' lifestyle that Army officers could not match. Hence the nickname "La Royale", which has become a current, almost official, name.

[@belleisle22]

About the "tendency to chop off the heads of their royals" : the number of executed kings in France is exactly the same as that of the kings of England = 1. Actually the number of English kings who were deposed and killed in battle is greater than in France. Sounds like making a generalisation out of a single event, don't you think ?

[@Joshua-fi4ji]

It's not so much that Napoleon neglected the navy. The revolution gutted the officer corps and along with it the institutional knowledge of how to run a navy, which is not something that can be relearnt is a short time. Their ship designs were arguably better than the British, but they couldn't mass them together so easily. Superior British crews would prove more decisive, where it'd been much more evenly matched pre-revolution. At Trafalgar and the Nile French leadership left much to be desired, but there were plenty of competent officers regardless. The Spanish ships at Trafalgar were old and tired. Spain had lacked the funds to properly maintain their navy. Also Napoleon understably needed the army more and he was not a navy man. I don't think Napoleon can be blamed for the state of his navy.

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Appreciate you watching and have a great week :)

[@user-aero68]

I've read somewhere that Napoleon insisted, because of the British blockade, on sending the navy out though he had been warned by his officers that the navy crews were not yet ready for battle

[@renesagahon4477]

Well done video. In all honesty the French chose wisely to sacrifice naval expansion To focus on its army and Air Force. They knew war was eminent. With Germany. A large fleet was useless with the Germans crossing the Rhine on to Paris and on to the channel which they almost did

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Appreciate you watching and have a great week :)

[@jean-Pierre-bt8xw]

Still the french navy was the 4th fleet in the world.

[@renesagahon4477]

@@jean-Pierre-bt8xw yes it was. And presently I believe it’s now considered the largest navy in Europe or just. Neck and neck with Great Britain

[@chrissycarr1618]

An important part of history. France had a strong navy, but chose wisely.

[@theicmn]

I don't think you actually watched the video. They were so far behind England and Germany it was embarrassing. They would have had their hands full with Italy or Austria.

[@jean-Pierre-bt8xw]

@@theicmn You didn't see the video as well. UK and France had a strong agreement : UK Atlantic and eventually pacific, France the mediterranean sea... and Both did the job pretty well. France built a Navy in that purpose, if tyhe agreement had been different, french would have done it differently. British had to concentrate her fleet on the German one. If french and in a second range Italy hadn't had a certain navy, it would have harder for British to defend both Pacific, the Channel and the mediterranean sea.

[@Random_person-di9um]

Yes! Thank you! I have been waiting for this!

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Appreciate you watching and have a great week :)

[@Random_person-di9um]

@@HiddenHistoryYT thank you!

[@gandigooglegandigoogle7202]

A great navy

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Appreciate you watching & have a great week :)

[@le_souverainiste_francais7420]

The Navy is very traditional. Even though lots of things change, the navy keeps lot of stuff.

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Yep! Appreciate you watching & have a great week :)

[@Brian-----]

France’s navy was key to connecting France with its empire, which was a major source of troops and helped remedy the manpower gap with Germany.

[@jean-Pierre-bt8xw]

It's not true for the troops... The troops from the french Empire was less than 4% of the entire french army throughout the war... In WWI, they were much numerous. But it's true for the sea roads between France and her Empire goods and ressurces, strategical and vital for France (just as the british with their Empire BTW).

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Appreciate you watching & have a great week :)

[@krostouin]

Nice archive picture, thanks for the content ! For info, the only king we popped was the one who betrayed his people. He didnt want to rule in a constitutional monarchy, run toward a foreign empire to restore full monarchy by force. He got intercepted at the border, with compromising letters. Cheers 🍻

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Appreciate you watching & have a great week :)

[@kettelbe]

Have you read the comment tho ​@@HiddenHistoryYT

[@belleisle22]

"France has been a republic for over 200 years" 🤔🤔🤔

[@TheFrenchBaguettes]

1 century and a half

[@belleisle22]

@@TheFrenchBaguettes Exactly. Since 1870.

[@TheFrenchBaguettes]

@@belleisle22 200 year sounds better than 150

[@belleisle22]

@@TheFrenchBaguettes Maybe it does. But on a history channel it's false. History is not marketing. 100 years would have sounded good and been actually true.

[@TheFrenchBaguettes]

@@belleisle22 completely agree just giving a plausible reason why he said it

[@molybdaen11]

Just 2 coastal defense ships seems a bit low considering how much coast the French had to quard.

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Indeed. Appreciate you watching & have a great week :)

[@VoicesofWW2YT]

yes sir

[@Peregrin3]

The only French branch more traditional than the Navy that I can think of is the Foreign Legion.

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Appreciate you watching & have a great week :)

[@tbtt5]

Traditions are in every branch, everyn corps. Our equivalent (and direct inspiration for the US) Marines are into traditions and heritage as much as the Legion

[@ybreton6593]

@@tbtt5 French soldiers have the same traditions and the same sense of duty . contrary to stupid propaganda spread by the anglo-américan media and authorities

[@cathybrind2381]

I know you'll want to thank me for watching and hope I'll have a great day. So I'll save you the bother. Cheers!

[@sailordude2094]

That was interesting history, thanks! What would the world history look like if Great Britain had not signed a pact with France that also had a pact with Russia. I wonder what a neutral England in WW1 world would look like now?

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Appreciate you watching and have a great week :)

[@scottabc72]

To start with Germany with Austria-Hungary would have won. Then there would likely be revolutions in both France and Russia. Depending on how radical revolution in France was there could likely be anti-colonial uprisings throughout the French Empire. Britain likely would have had to make a choice to support Germany suppressing revolutions around Europe while Germany went ahead and built the largest fleet or standing aside while the whole world order collapsed for better or worse.

[@basile4788]

I would rather wonder what would have become of England if France and Germany had made a pact!

[@cathybrind2381]

@@scottabc72 Like now you mean?

[@peaceraybob]

Are you reading from Wiki articles? Perhaps you should read the entire article rather than simply taking the opening synopsis at face value.

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Uhhh no lol

[@jonsouth1545]

British were risk adverse and dogmatic in their naval planning and construction absolute BS. In the late 19th Century and the run-up to WW1 the RN was highly innovative, they were the world's premier expermentor in multiple revolutionary technologies such as submarines, radio equipment, gunnery computers, steam turbines, smokeless powder etc etc. At this time the RN were also massive innovators in ship design this can be seen with ships like the Majestic class in the 1890s and in the 1900s not only in the creation of Dreadnought but also in the creation of Battlecruisers, the first use of an aircraft carrieng ship in battle the list goes on and on. In 1914 the "risk adverse and conservative RN" had the world's largest submarine fleet. This so called risk adverse organisation was increadibly quick to adopt new technologies take the steam turbine from first demonstration to widespread adoption in the fleet took less than a year.

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Great comment! Appreciate you watching & have a wonderful weekend :)

[@GaryHolmes-r1u]

Did I hear correctly, the defeat of the Royal Navy at Trafalgar?

[@philhawley1219]

I thought that too. Listen again and it as a fault with the shitty AI robot voice.

[@jean-Pierre-bt8xw]

No, he said "la Royale" not the Royal Navy... He explained that the name of the French Navy was "la Royale". It's a past tradition : after Trafalgar, Napoleon denied the french Navy Officers to be called "Monsieur"... and this is applied yet nowadays ... For example : in french Army, in french Air Force, and in french Gendarmerie for aa Lieutenant, we say : Mon Lieutenant (Mon is a contraction for Monsieur) but in the navy we just say "Lieutenant"... it has been done to recall the Royale that their officers failed anbd did not do the necessary/minimum job in Trafalgar. Humiliating decision by the French Emperor, but efficient, after that, French navy will keep in mind that she has to do more.

[@ybreton6593]

Non , pour une fois que les anglais remportaient réellement une victoire🤔🤔🤔 . Bon , un marin français a blessé mortellement L'Amiral Nelson , il est rentré en Angleterre completement imbiber d'alcool . Nelson ne serait pas mort s'il n'avait pas provoquer les marins français

[@cathybrind2381]

@@ybreton6593 By daring to defeat them you mean? Thought it was the French who had lofty plans of invading England , not the other way around. Do you actually know anything about naval history? Thought not. But fair to say that some of the best and best looking ships in the British fleet were captured French ones. So there were quite a few of those...

[@ybreton6593]

Conquest of England and the Battle of Hastings From 1027 to 1060 the King of France was Henry I. Son of Robert I Duke of the House of Normandy, William I was crowned Duke of Normandy on the death of his father in 1027 who became William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in England, William was simply a Duke he was subject to the King of France. In 1051 1052 King Edward the Confessor encouraged William to succeed. learning that Harold ascended the Throne of England William Duke of Normandy raises an army of 7000 men the French come Normandy, Brittany Flanders, Anjou, Somme all are French Duchies on September 28, 1066 the armada lands at Pevensey in East Sussex on October 14, 1066 the Battle of Hastings begins and exceptionally it lasts only one day. on December 25, 1066 the French William Duke of Normandy receives the Anglo-Saxon crown in Westminster Abbey !!! according to you the French have never conquered England in my country France the motto of the nation: LIBERTY - EQUALITY - FRATERNITY in England the motto is written in French: GOD AND MY RIGHT !!! As a reminder France is the Nation that has won the most wars and battles and defeated the British on many occasions whether you like it or not

[@Arltratlo]

their ships been " interesting " kind of!

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Appreciate you watching & have a great weekend :)

[@Arltratlo]

@@HiddenHistoryYT i know a little more about the French navy, been even to St. Nazire...Nantes and other places in France... in 3 weeks, i am driving to the Normandy, on my way to Ireland! 3 weeks vacation, motorbike tour....i am European, i have over 50 days vacation this year! paid vacation!

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

@@Arltratlo that is super cool! What is your favorite French ship?

[@Arltratlo]

@@HiddenHistoryYT Emil Bertin.... the French Pre- Dreadnought been a bunch of crazy ships... i prefer the German BC of WW1, SMS Derfflinger...not even the Brits could sink it!

[@harrylor66]

@@HiddenHistoryYT Then I'll answer! I think my favourite French ships are the ‘Bretagne class’ and the ‘Courbet’. BUT the most impressive ships are still ‘Carnot’, “Manessa” and “Charles Martel”, true ‘steam punk’ giants!

[@UTTPCHICKENNUGGET]

I'm first non channel

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Appreciate you watching and have a great week :)

[@marcoparente7352]

Blocking austrian access to the atlantic with the "support" of the italian navy??? 😂 italian navy built a fortification from Puglia to Albania and patrolled it. At maximum, the french supported italian fleet, not the opposite.

[@alexandarvoncarsteinzarovi3723]

One of these days the French are going to beg for a return no a monarchy, why, because they want to keep speaking French, no banker nor some language that sounds like it's out of H.P.Lovecraft books, hell even speaking Klingon, Mandalorian or Sindarin would be god sent of an improvement over losing your language to that stuff,

[@HiddenHistoryYT]

Appreciate you watching & have a great weekend :)

[@julienporisse9902]

Terrible video completely wrong La Royale…in 1914 ridiculous. Score 1/10. de la Daube. Cardinal of Richelieu…😂 try Spanish next time