How did they get away with this?
Hon hon hon, le pay no attention to this, let's talk about le evil oppressive German invaders instead mon ami.
>>1355925
Because if you do it over 250 years no one will care
People only really care if you go full retard and annex half of Europe in 10 years
>>1355956
Well, European powers cared during Louis XIV's conquests
But they were simply no match
>>1355975
>Spanish succession
>french victory
>>1355925
Many of those places spoke langues d'oïl and as such were naturally part of France.
>>1356110
So Alsace and Moselle are naturally German territory, no?
>>1356128
Those are just Frenchmen who have been forced to speak a bastard for of german by the
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>>1356134
*form of
By being the strongest state in the area.
What is surprising to me is that they conquered so little, and didn't even gather all French speaking people under their kingdom.
>>1356313
They did for some time.
>>1355925
Because they were the most populated nation in Europe and had one of the most feared armies.
>>1356103
Bourbons literally still rule Spain in 2016.
>>1355925
Through diplomacy and/or purchases.
>>1356335
But those are mostly German areas. It leaves out a lot of French speaking people in the Netherlands. I remember that wars were fought for that too but French kings seemed to be okay with losing there, instead of just trying again.
And there's Savoie. Why did no king annex that ? Henry IV easily won the war in 1600, occupied most of the French side of the Alps, then signed a treaty giving up Saluzzo in exchange for the Bugey, Gex and Bresse...
>>1356313
>all French speaking people under their kingdom.
Those people didn't speak French at all. They spoke Walloon, Provencal and dozens other languages. French in Belgium or Switzerland is a child of edgy Romanticists in governments who introduced that language into schools. They thought that people will become more "civilized" if they spoke French.
Through the power of Iosing wars and surrender.
>>1357881
>They thought that people will become more "civilized" if they spoke French.
Truly wise men
>>1358609
Easy to say if you have the natural resources, defensive borders or even an ocean to protect. No other nation has became so powerful so many times for so long as France.
>>1357881
That's still more French than the franconian dialects that were spoken between the Rhine and Luxembourg.
>>1355925
All lands who are on the Left Bank of the Rhine belong to France, all lands who are on the Right Bank of the Rhine belong to Germany, this is pretty simple.
>>1360899
stop pls
>>1361548
We aren't bullies, we merely want our celtic brothers to return to their true roots.
