100 years ago Verdun looked like total crap.

They seem to have tidied up.
100 years ago all half of France looked that way, because tranchees came close Paris, using civil taxis to bring soldiers and mate Germany. May be it is my grand father on the pic', Ty.
Today they still have in farms bomb exploding from the FIRST WW. I saw ironwires IN the tree, across, because it grew up and kept inside ironwire, so many everywhere. Incredible place.
And now, as promised, baby seal brave France Brigitte :

One of the most beautiful women, same time than Marilyn.
Involved like Tippi Hedren US actress in animal's rights.
France the Brave. World wide broadcast movies.
coming soon : Domremy. Lorraine.
Beautiul places...like to visit!
yes welcome here first country for tourism, and bashers, true. De Gaulle said :" France, never talk about frenchies".
Here you'll get the nicest places, and i hope many followers will show you dark face, we have on except in ...PROVENCE NICE, nice is the name of the city !!
I check if there ar other "NICE" name of cities, hold on.
I'm not sure it is Nice, but it is nice. It is evrywhere like that.
Without village Domremy la Pucelle, no France the Brave.
Everybody knows Alienor, queen of FRANCE first,
then UK GB queen. nb Alienor : 85 years long life.
A few know Joan of Arc : only TWO (1+1) years of activity.
Begin of end of hundred years wars, founding time of today FRANCE.
Without Joan of Arc, just UK, which means .... no USA.
Bardot, Brigitte Bardot is the model of official Marianne, France the brave :

Reason why our mayors are so serious at work.
nb : just FACTS in this thread France the Brave.
Today Charentes, Rochefort, incredible project :
- HERMIONE - BUILD a ship 1995 - 2015 as in the past !

In the Past
Louisbourg 1781-
and .... LA FAYETTE Français brave

A brave French 18 juin 1940 , France Libre , free : ONE tough GUY, in LONDON , GB UK
Today France 66 mio. people, thanks to him ...and Sir winston Churchill. Two countries, two friends.
you welcome 
All the population of France in 0618 1940 is under :
de Gaulle facing 70 mio. of terrorists + 35 mio. pacifists
Brave de Gaulle is fascinating : A solver, he hated whine-whine people, he was Sir Winston's guest, another brave wanting France + UK/GB = only one country. 051940.
* to continue to fight
** to realize strategical Empire ambition, ie sufficient power to face Europ, 800 years of dream.
So we introduce Sir Winston Churchill as a french brave :
Nobody knows de GAULLE'S GODFATHER,
....... his biggest ennemy, biggest french paradox
THE MOST BRAVE FRENCH 02 1916
THE MOST HATED 1940 till Today

Verdun 1916 started as a major disaster. Petain was the chief of army waiting succesfully decisive US ARMY.
Cleraly : without him, no France today, just fact.
JUNE 1940 : after the biggest defeat of all times for all countries, PETAIN was legally choosen to decide what to do. He decided to sign peace, de Gaulle never forgave him.
It was decisive for France , according to de Gaulle analysis, to continue fight. It was indispensable for Petain to stop losses and destruction, which means become german , unbearable idea for french de Gaulle.
1916 : brave Petain , without him no France anymore
1940 : brave de Gaulle,without him no France today.
de Gaulle insisted to have Petain sentenced to death.
Justa symbol , as duke of Enghien with .... Bonaparte.
CORSICA ISLAND of
Buonaparte known as ...Napoleon
Don't tell to Provence people Corsica is nicer than Capri, IItaly, Sicilia, or kiribati : because it is the TRUTH.

Napoleon gave Code Civil to half of Europa but couldn't stop wars because he wanted power for him, and family, and get in one life whole Europa, people before him had that dream in 800 years, he didn't care of people and death soldiers.
Power to the people is not easy thing in XIXth century.
Back to brave Mitterand President : He gave a lot of informations (source FAREWELL wiki.) to Reagan helping him in winning cold war against Russia, the same time Mitterand was re-elected thanks to communists. Incredible, that's in France and nowhere else.

Beautiul places...like to visit!