French history
Everything you need to know about French history.
The bloody and chaotic weeks that led to the liberation of Paris
In August 1944 ordinary Parisians rose up, led by resistance fighters supported by workers, women and even priests to throw off the Nazi yoke after four years.
Why UNESCO bid for the 'Cathar castles' is causing anger in south-west France
With France bidding to expand its list of UNESCO world heritage sites, an application for the stunning and mysterious Cathar castles of south-west France has stirred anger among locals, as Helen Massy-Beresford reports.
Normandy's D-Day beaches could become France's latest UNESCO World Heritage Site
After more than 20 years of lobbying, the Normandy beaches where Allied forces landed on June 6th, 1944 are closer than ever to UNESCO recognition.
How did July 14th become France's national day?
As most people know, July 14th commemorates the storming of the Bastille, the symbolic start of the French Revolution - but the story of how this date became the Fête nationale and a public holiday is a little more complicated.
Eight decades on, Switzerland clears French Resistance fighters
Eight decades after World War II, Switzerland on Monday repealed sentences that were handed out to 466 Swiss citizens who fought in the French Resistance.
Building citizens: Why philosophy is compulsory in French schools
In France, anyone looking to graduate with a secondary school diploma must pass an hours-long philosophy exam, in addition to more prosaic subjects like maths and languages.
How France’s former slave ports are confronting their past
From Nantes to La Rochelle, Le Havre to Bordeaux, debates over plaques, museums, street names and monuments reveal a broader national question: how should France face its past of slavery and colonialism?
France moves towards symbolic repealing of slavery legislation
France is Thursday expected to move towards repealing outdated legislation that defines people enslaved in its colonies as "moveable goods", in a symbolic move as the country grapples with its colonial legacy.
Singer FKA twigs to play Josephine Baker in biopic of anti-racist legend
British music star FKA twigs is to play Josephine Baker in a new biopic of the Roaring Twenties icon who became a hero of the French Resistance and the American civil rights movement.
Pierre Chambon, influential French geneticist, dies aged 95
Pierre Chambon, a French molecular biologist who was hugely influential worldwide in the field of gene research, has died aged 95, the University of Strasbourg said.
French parliament votes to ease returns of looted art to ex-colonies
France's parliament on Thursday definitively adopted legislation to simplify the return of artworks looted during the colonial era to their countries of origin.
Why is May 8th a holiday in France, and will it remain a day off?
May 8th is VE Day, marking the end of fighting in Europe during World War II - but the story of how it came to be a public holiday in France is a complicated one, with the holiday still up for debate.
EXPLAINED: Why France doesn't have any US military bases
American president Donald Trump has threatened to pull thousands of American troops out of Germany, with other European military bases potentially following suit. This is not an issue in France, however, which has no US military presence on its soil - here's why.
VE Day: What happens in France on May 8th
In towns and villages across the country, the French will turn out on Friday, May 8th, to mark the end of World War II in Europe and honour those who died in the conflict.
Diving robot explores mystery of France's deepest shipwreck
Deep below the surface of the Mediterranean off the French coast, the pincer of a remotely guided underwater robot delicately closes around a centuries-old jug lying near a 16th-century shipwreck.
8 things you never knew about Andorra
The tiny statelet nestled in the Pyrenees mountains that mark the border between France and Spain will be getting a visit from its French 'co Prince' this week – but what else is there to know about Andorra?
11 things to know about France's Arc de Triomphe
It's the original and - we dare to say - will always remain the best, so here's a few things you might not know about the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
EXPLAINED: Why does Alsace want to leave its French region?
French MPs have approved a bill regarding Alsace’s withdrawal from its Grand Est region - but why does Alsace want to leave, and where is it going?
600-year-old pinot noir grape found in medieval French toilet
A 600-year-old grape seed discovered in the toilets of a medieval French hospital is genetically identical to the grapes still being used to make pinot noir wine, scientists said on Tuesday.
French author cleared of libel over Nazi 'collaborator' family novel
A Paris court has found a historian of the Nazi occupation of France not guilty of libel for having described her mother and other family members as "collaborationist" during World War II.
Mysterious ancient skeletons discovered sitting upright in France
Children at a primary school in eastern France found a strange new attraction next to their playground this week: a skeleton sitting upright, peeking out the top of a circular pit.
Which French figure has the most streets named after them?
In French town after French town, you’ll see famous names from history honoured on street signs - but who wins the prize for the biggest number of streets, avenues and boulevards bearing their name?
Germany returns to France fragments of the Bayeux Tapestry taken in 1941
Fragments removed from the Bayeux Tapestry in 1941 by a Nazi scientist have been returned, according to the French museum that houses the priceless 900-year-old artefact.