The map above shows just about every country that has been invaded by France one way or another.
The various ways include:
- Invaded
- Colonised
- Former part of an invaded country
- Fought against but did not invade
- Fought on the territory but not against the country
- Airstrikes without land troops
- Temporary Settlement/occupation
As with any map of this type the terms and timelines are highly subjective. And misses several countries, for example:
- Ground troops in Libya during WW2 (see Battle of Bir Hakeim)
- Argentina (see French blockade of the Río de la Plata)
- Most of South America still technically belonged to Spain during the Napoleonic Wars
- Mauritius (See Mauritius campaign of 1809–11)
- Malta (see French occupation of Malta)
For a full list you can see the original discussion on Reddit.
To learn more about French military history have a look at the following books:
- Greater France: A History of French Overseas Expansion
- Ghost Empire: How the French Almost Conquered North America
- Napoleon’s Wars: An International History
- France and Its Empire Since 1870
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Drew says
A British map would show the whole world practically in colour. As far as I am aware, there are only 5-7 countries of the world with whom we have not fought against or taken any military action on their turf.