Schoolboy Days in France

About the Book

France made up the bulk of the region that was known to the Romans as Gaul. The Gauls, the largest ethno-linguistic group, were Celtic people speaking the Gaulish language. In the later stages of the Roman Empire, Gaul was subject to barbarian raids and migration, most importantly by the Germanic Franks. In 1328 began a series of conflicts known as the Hundred Years' War between the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet. In the 16th century France developed a great colonial empire, reaching a zenith under the rule of Louis XIV, "The Sun King", who built the Versailles Palace. The monarchy was overthrown in the French Revolution, which resulted in the rise of Napoleon and the Napoleonic Wars, resulting in millions of deaths throughout Europe. In the 19th century France wavered between republic and monarchy until the French Third Republic of 1870. France was the scene of heavy fighting against Germany in World War 1 and was conquered by Nazi Germany in World War 2, resulting in a collaborationist Vichy regime (lasting to 1942). Charles de Gaulle established the French Fifth Republic in 1958.

Also in this Book

Continental European drama has a rich history. In Germany during the 19th century there was a revolution in theater architecture, and the introduction of German Romanticism. German writers increasingly focussed on their Teutonic past and promoted nationalism in the plays of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Friedrich Schiller. In time, Romanticism was adopted in France through the plays of Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Alfred de Musset, and George Sand. European dramatists who were awarded the Nobel Prizes included Jose Echagaray and Jacinto Benavente (Spain), Paul Heyse and Paul Heyse (Germany), and Maurice Maeterlinck (Belgium).

And in this Book

France is a country in Western Europe. It has long been a centre for art and philosophy and has many of the world UNESCO world heritage sites. It has the largest number of tourists in the world, and is considered a world power both economically and militarily. France is famous for its wine making, and the Alps on its eastern border.

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Leopold Classic Library has the goal of making available to readers the classic books that have been out of print for decades. While these books may have occasional imperfections, we consider that only hand checking of every page ensures readable content without poor picture quality, blurred or missing text etc. That's why we:

• republish only hand checked books;
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