In May 1610 Henry IV of France was assassinated by a religious fanatic apparently acting alone. Though popular, Henry had nevertheless aroused animosity on his way to kingship, not least because of his Protestant beliefs, writes Robert J. Knecht.
Exiled in London in June 1940, with France on the brink of defeat, Charles de Gaulle broadcast a speech that was to create an enduring bond between him and his country, writes Jonathan Fenby.
The circus act was first performed on 12 November 1859.
Mark Bryant admires a Russian artist whose lampoons of Napoleon inspired some notable British caricaturists.
In the years leading up to the Second World War, France was riven by political division as extremes of left and right vied for power. Annette Finley-Croswhite and Gayle K. Brunelle tell the tragic and mysterious story of Laetitia Toureaux, a young woman swept up in the violent passions of the time.
Graham Goodlad examines the controverisal reputation of Napoleon Bonaparte as a military commander.
The Emperor divorced his first wife on December 14th, 1809.
John Matusiak pricks the imperial pretension of the monarch who came to the throne 500 years ago
The tactics adopted by the Gallic leader Vercingetorix to resist Julius Caesar’s conquest of Gaul played into Roman hands.
Henry II was fatally injured by the Count of Montgomery during a jousting tournament. He died on July 10th, 1559.
