When you think of French warfare, the image that often comes to mind is the rapid surrender of 1940 – a myth that has tarnished France’s martial legacy. Yet, the story of the French army is far richer than that single episode. In this roundup of 10 awesome French military victories you’ve probably never heard of, we’ll peel back the layers of time to reveal daring campaigns, clever diplomacy, and battlefield brilliance that shaped Europe in ways most people overlook.
10 The Mad War
La Guerre Folle, known in English as the Mad War, erupted between 1485 and 1488 after the death of King Louis XI. With the throne still in the hands of a minor, regent Anne de Beaujeu was appointed to govern, a move that irked the king’s cousin, the future Louis XII, who coveted power.
Feeling spurned, Louis XII fled to the independent duchy of Brittany, where he rallied the Bretons and several high‑ranking French vassals, notably the Duke of Lorraine and the Prince of Orange, to his cause. From the safety of Brittany they launched a rebellion against the French crown.
The insurgents quickly attracted foreign backers. England, Austria, and Spain each dispatched troops to bolster the Breton effort, turning the conflict into a broader European affair. France, branding the rebels as traitors, plotted a decisive invasion of Brittany to crush the uprising.
The Breton forces assembled a diverse army: thousands of native warriors were reinforced by sizable Spanish and Austrian contingents, and a distinctive group of 700 English long‑bowmen led by the renegade Edward Woodville, who defied his own king to fight.
The two sides finally clashed at the Battle of Saint‑Aubin‑du‑Cormier. The Breton army, positioned on a commanding ridge, waited for the French advance, hoping to exploit their elevated stance.
As the French formed for combat, the English long‑bowmen unleashed a storm of arrows that sowed chaos among the Breton ranks. Yet the French cavalry, commanded by seasoned Italian mercenaries, identified a gap in the enemy line and surged forward.
French horsemen poured through the breach, overwhelming the Breton defenders and routing them decisively. The victory cemented the French monarchy’s control, ending Breton refuge for future rebels and integrating Brittany fully into France.
9 Battle Of Bir Hakeim
While the French mainland capitulated in a few short weeks during the early days of World War II, the Free French forces regrouped under General de Gaulle in exile, determined to keep fighting. Their most celebrated stand came in North Africa at the remote Ottoman fortress of Bir Hakeim.
Because France still possessed vast colonies in Africa, many Free French units were already stationed there, while others were dispatched to counter the German Afrika Korps. The 1st Free French Division, roughly 3,600 strong, was tasked with defending Bir Hakeim, a key position in the Libyan desert.
The British Eighth Army, under Montgomery, had secured several desert outposts, and Bir Hakeim formed a crucial bulwark against Rommel’s advance. The Free French garrison’s resolve forced the Germans to detour, stretching their supply lines and prompting a prolonged siege in 1942.
Against overwhelming odds—facing an Axis force ten times larger—the Free French held out for more than two weeks, repelling repeated assaults and inflicting heavy casualties.
Eventually, pressure forced the French to withdraw, but the delay denied Rommel the element of surprise he had banked on for a rapid thrust toward the Allied lines.
The stand at Bir Hakeim reverberated across the warfront: it disrupted the German plan to seize Malta, paved the way for the decisive Allied victory at El Alamein, and even earned Hitler’s grudging admiration, calling the Free French the second‑best fighters after his own troops. The battle revived global confidence in French combat prowess and bolstered the morale of the Resistance back home.
8 Battle Of Tours
In October 732, Charles Martel, the de‑facto leader of the Frankish realm, confronted the formidable forces of the Umayyad Caliphate just outside the city of Tours. The clash would become a watershed moment for Europe.
At that juncture, the Umayyad Caliphate was the pre‑eminent military power on the planet, having stretched from Persia to the Iberian Peninsula and encompassing North Africa. Fresh from conquering Spain, the Umayyads now eyed further expansion into the heart of Europe.
The Frankish kingdom—later to become France—was the most powerful polity in Western Europe, having expanded its domain across modern‑day France, the Low Countries, and western Germany through a mix of diplomacy and conquest.
The Umayyad army, led by Abdul Rahman Al‑Ghafiqi, first overran the independent Duchy of Aquitaine. Its duke, Odo, appealed to Charles for assistance, prompting the Frankish forces to march north to defend Tours.
Charles positioned his troops on a ridge, forcing the Umayyads to attack uphill. The Muslim cavalry attempted to draw the Franks from their advantageous high ground, but the Frankish infantry, drilled in disciplined phalanx tactics, held firm.
During the battle, a rumor spread that Frankish soldiers were looting the Umayyad camp, prompting a segment of the Muslim army to break off and protect their spoils. This sudden diversion caused panic and disorder among the ranks.
Seizing the moment, Charles’s forces pressed the attack, routing the Umayyads. Al‑Ghafiqi fell in the melee, and the retreating Muslim army fled under cover of night, leaving Europe largely untouched by further Islamic conquest for centuries.
7 War Of Saint‑Sardos
While many of France’s early victories were won on the battlefield, the War of Saint‑Sardos showcased the power of shrewd diplomacy. At the time, English king Edward II also held the title of Duke of Aquitaine, making him a vassal to the French crown and obliging him to render homage.
In Aquitaine, local nobles increasingly preferred the French Parlement over English courts for dispute resolution, a trend that steadily eroded English authority as the French courts habitually ruled in favor of the crown.
The flashpoint arrived when the town of Saint‑Sardos became contested. The local monastery sought to convert the settlement into a fortified border outpost for the French king, while other landowners wished to remain under English protection. A violent incident—where a local lord torched Saint‑Sardos and murdered its sergeant—prompted the French to accuse the English of orchestrating the atrocity.
English diplomats scrambled to buy time, offering apologies and promises while pledging to resolve the crisis themselves. The French king, sensing an opening, launched a rapid invasion of Aquitaine, catching the English completely off‑guard.
Within six weeks, the war concluded with the French in control of most of the duchy. The swift defeat embarrassed the English, sowed dissent among their own nobles, and directly contributed to the internal revolt that eventually ousted Edward II in 1327.
6 Battle Of Austerlitz
Napoleon Bonaparte, celebrated as one of history’s greatest commanders, secured a string of spectacular victories during the War of the Third Coalition. His triumph at Austerlitz in December 1805 remains a textbook example of strategic brilliance.
After a dazzling campaign that saw the French sweep through Austria, capturing Vienna, Napoleon faced a combined Austro‑Russian army. The Russians, under Tsar Alexander I, intended to force the French into a vulnerable position by stretching their supply lines.
Anticipating the allies’ plan, Napoleon feigned weakness. He dispatched a conciliatory letter, negotiated a temporary armistice, and withdrew his forces from the commanding Pratzen Heights, creating the illusion of disorder.
The allies, misreading the French intentions, launched a massive assault on what they believed to be a retreating enemy. Their force of roughly 85,000 men attacked the French right flank, hoping to split the line and cut off supplies.
Napoleon, however, had deliberately weakened his right and reinforced his left. As the allies pressed forward, French troops on the left reclaimed the abandoned high ground, then surged downhill, striking the enemy’s centre and left flank with crushing force.
The battle ended with the French suffering fewer than 10,000 casualties, while the coalition endured about 16,000 losses and surrendered 20,000 prisoners. The ensuing treaty forced Austria out of the war, imposed heavy reparations, and led to the dissolution of the centuries‑old Holy Roman Empire.
5 Hundred Years’ War
The protracted Hundred Years’ War (1337‑1453) is famed for iconic English victories such as Crecy, Poitiers, and Agincourt. Yet, the ultimate outcome was a resounding French success that expelled the English from almost all continental holdings, leaving only Calais.
While early English triumphs showcased the lethal longbow, they also fostered overconfidence, prompting successive monarchs to pour resources into a conflict they could not sustain against France’s larger population and deeper coffers. Even Agincourt, celebrated in English lore, was fought after three decades of English setbacks.
The war concluded decisively at the Battle of Castillon. The French, employing a feigned retreat, lured the English under Lord Talbot into a well‑prepared artillery ambush. French cannons, among the most advanced in Europe, devastated the English ranks, while a swift cavalry charge sealed the victory. The English suffered thousands of casualties, whereas French losses numbered only around a hundred, cementing France’s dominance and ending English continental ambitions.
4 French Invasion Of Normandy
By the early 13th century, England and France repeatedly clashed over Normandy. In 1202, the French king Philip II seized the moment, exploiting King John’s ineptitude and the discontent of his own nobles, many of whom defected to the French cause.
John’s decisive victory at the Battle of Mirebeau in 1202, where he captured the rebelling Lusignans, initially seemed to secure his hold on Normandy. He reinforced key castles, forcing Philip to reconsider his offensive.
However, John’s brutal treatment of prisoners—most notoriously drowning the Duke of Brittany in the Seine while allegedly intoxicated—galvanized additional Norman barons to side with Philip.
Philip responded by laying siege to the strategic fortress of Château Gaillard, simultaneously courting the disgruntled Norman aristocracy. John’s attempts to relieve the siege failed, and after a protracted campaign, Gaillard fell in March 1204.
By August of that year, Philip had secured Normandy, Poitou, and Anjou, leaving England with only the Duchy of Aquitaine. The campaign showcased Philip’s blend of military prowess and diplomatic acumen, reshaping the map of western Europe.
3 Battle Of Bouvines
Nearly a decade after losing Normandy, King John of England allied with Pope Innocent III to form a coalition against France, drawing in German princes, Flemish forces, and his own troops.
The coalition’s plan called for John to land in western France, rallying forces in Gascony, while the northern allies advanced on Paris. However, the English contingent was defeated at La Roche‑aux‑Moines, leaving Philip free to confront the northern army.
The combined English‑German force numbered about 9,000, while Philip’s army, though smaller at roughly 7,000, boasted superior heavy cavalry and disciplined infantry.
During the battle, French cavalry repeatedly broke the coalition’s flanks, capturing key commanders William Longespée and Ferrand of Flanders, which caused a cascade of retreats.
Philip then encircled the German centre, forcing a decisive collapse. A final stand by roughly 700 pikemen led by Reginald of Boulogne held out for hours before being overrun, preventing further casualties.
The crushing defeat forced King John to sign the Magna Carta and ultimately led to his ouster. The French victory also resulted in the deposition of the German emperor Otto, underscoring Philip’s dominance.
2 Second Battle Of The Marne
In the spring of 1918, Germany launched a massive offensive aimed at breaking the stalemate on the Western Front. After initial successes, they attempted a diversionary thrust along the Marne River, hoping to force the Allies into a costly redeployment.
German General Ludendorff boasted that the first two days represented “the very pinnacle of military victory,” as German stormtroopers seized several bridgeheads and overwhelmed French front‑line defenses.
Unbeknownst to the Germans, the Allies had intentionally withdrawn to set a trap. French forces, bolstered by 85,000 fresh British and American troops, prepared a massive counter‑offensive.
Intelligence gathered from captured German soldiers, combined with a deliberate misinformation campaign feeding false plans to the enemy, gave the Allies a detailed picture of German intentions.
On 18 July, the Allies launched their counter‑attack. Within two days, German forces were ordered to retreat, marking the first of a series of victories that would culminate in the Armistice three months later.
Although Allied casualties exceeded those of the Germans, the battle restored French morale, shattered German confidence, and ensured the Allies never again fell back before the war’s end.
1 Battle Of Malakoff
In the mid‑19th century, Russia’s naval power surged, threatening the balance of the Black Sea. By 1850, Russia’s fleet in Sevastopol rivalled that of the Ottoman Empire, whose influence had waned for centuries.
The French and British, keen to preserve the status quo, pledged support to the Ottomans when a crisis erupted between them and Russia. When the Ottoman Empire declared war, Britain and France dispatched troops to the Crimean Peninsula, targeting the strategic port of Sevastopol.
Both sides recognized Sevastopol’s importance; the Russians fortified it heavily, while the Allies, lacking sufficient artillery, struggled to breach the defenses. The siege devolved into a protracted stalemate, with disease and weather claiming more lives than combat.
As winter loomed, the Allies realized they could not afford a prolonged siege. The British, unable to devise a decisive plan, considered withdrawal, prompting the French to propose a final, bold assault.
The plan called for a massive naval bombardment followed by a coordinated Anglo‑French attack: the French would seize the Malakoff fort while the British targeted the Redan.
During the assault, the British successfully captured the Redan but were later repelled after several hours of fierce fighting. Meanwhile, the French troops stormed Malakoff, holding their ground against repeated Russian counter‑attacks and creating a breach that the Allies could exploit.
This decisive victory forced the Russians to abandon Sevastopol before the harsh winter set in, sparing countless lives. In retreat, the Russian fleet was scuttled to prevent capture, marking a turning point in the Crimean War.