3. Hundreds of Thousands of French Soldiers Were Killed or Wounded
During World War I, France mobilized approximately 8.4 million soldiers, resulting in about 1.4 million killed and 4.2 million wounded. This equates to roughly 73% of the mobilized forces being casualties. In World War II, French military losses included around 92,000 soldiers killed by the end of the 1940 campaign, with additional losses in subsequent campaigns. These substantial sacrifices underscore the nation’s commitment and resilience, challenging the notion of a hasty surrender (en.wikipedia.org).
