The French Armed Forces encompass the French Army, the French Navy, the French Air Force and the National Gendarmerie. The President of the Republic heads the armed forces, with the title "chef des armées" ("chief of the military forces"). The President is the supreme authority for military matters and is the sole official who can order a nuclear strike. The French military has, as some of its primary objectives, the defence of national territory, the protection of French interests abroad, and the maintenance of global stability.
Read more about French Armed Forces: History, Recent International Stance, Gallery
Famous quotes containing the words french, armed and/or forces:
“If you should put a knife into a French girl’s learning it would explode and blow away like an omelette soufflee ...”
—M. E. W. Sherwood (1826–1903)
“O thou day o’ th’ world,
Chain mine armed neck, leap thou, attire and all,
Through proof of harness to my heart, and there
Ride on the pants triumphing!”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“The next thing his Lordship does, after clearing of the coast, is the dividing of his forces, as he calls them, into two squadrons, one of places of Scriptures, the other of reasons....
All that I have to say touching this, is that I observe a great part of those his forces do look and march another way, and some of them fight amongst themselves.”
—Thomas Hobbes (1579–1688)