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franceName: gab
DW username: N/A
Plurk: N/A
Character Name: France
Series: Axis Powers Hetalia
Timeline: Modern day
Canon Resource Link: Here!
Character History: Proud to a fault, France’s haughty attitudes date back to before the first millennium C.E. and his dear Emperor Charlemagne. However, before that, France had been somewhat of a roguish child, founded in the 50’s B.C.E. by Caesar on his territorial conquest for Rome. Originally the land of Gaul, France was founded as Gallia, the Latin word for Gaul. For nearly five hundred years, Rome influenced little Gallia in his affairs, language and culture, and surprisingly enough, the little nation was all too happy to receive this influence and domination, as when Rome had first come to conquer him, his society was in a state of economic decline.
But things were to change in 430 when the Frankish tribes, or Germania really, invaded his lands. The Roman influence was fading, and Gallia was returning to the Celtic traditions and language he had held so long ago. It didn’t really even bother him in 476 when Rome fell, because by then, the invading tribes protected him. The boy would grow up to uphold mentality of selling himself to the highest bidder and keeping his loyalty to no one, as though France was and still is unscrupulously honest, he is in no sense of the word “loyal”.
Christianity would come when Clovis, king of the Franks, united France as a Frankish kingdom, deemed Paris his capital and converted to Catholicism himself. Interestingly enough, the Franks didn’t decide to get rid of the Latin language that little Gallia had grown accustomed to, so Gallia continued to speak it.
When Rome had raised little Gallia, the little boy had always insisted that he would grow up to be as strong of an empire as Rome. It was every country’s dream to acquire an empire, but with Charlemagne conquering a third of Europe, smashing the pagan Saxons and being crowned the emperor of Rome by the pope, (despite Rome being, well, nonexistent), this dream became a reality for little Gallia. His emperor taught him that paganism was bad and punishable by death at this point, so thus began France’s long-standing intolerance for religions besides his own.
The empire would not last, as in the late 800s, the Carolingian dynasty would fall. However, another important concept would come to exist and play an important role in Gallia’s life: Feudalism. And beyond the concept of feudalism, the beginning of severe class separation in French society that would not collapse until the French Revolution many years later.
It was the French Pope Urban that would initiate the first crusades in the name of Christianity, and more specifically, Catholicism. Although it further demonstrated Gallia’s intolerance for other religions, it also united his kingdom as a people loyal to their country, rather than just loyal to whatever region they may be in.
The monk Suger, an adviser to both Louis VI (the fat) and Louis VII, was the first to insist the king would be referred to as the “King of France” instead of “The King of the Franks.” Gallia was now France, a united kingdom and people. Crusades would continue, including the infamous Cathar crusade, which ended up gaining Languedoc for France.
One of the most determining moves of France’s king happened in the late 13th and early 14th century when Philip the Fair would establish the Estates General. Further the class divide, the three Estates would come to represent the clergy, the nobility and more or less, the common people of France. France himself sided almost entirely with the first two estates, determining the last to be an afterthought just as his kings did. Favouritism and nepotism would become a dominating force in France’s life for many years to come.
Perhaps one of France’s greatest friendships would be forged in 1295 when the Franco-Scottish alliance was formed with Scotland. France would come to treasure Scotland’s interactions, and to rely on him as a partner in crime when it came to bothering England until the Union of Crowns. This alliance would come to mean a lot more during the upcoming Hundred Year’s War. (Which actually extended 116 years!)
About two hundred years earlier, one of France’s vassals, William the Conqueror, would claim the English throne for himself. For two hundred years, French kings would rule England, and when the throne was comprised in France, Edward the Third of England would declare war on France. For the first half of the Hundred Year’s War, France would suck. Although he had a territorial advantage and larger armies, England had a secret weapon up his sleeve: the longbow. England was able to crush France’s forces, despite France being from a higher location than England, and then took over the top half of France. The Bubonic plague, economic decline and starving peasants would halve France’s population and weaken him: France claimed that all of this, including losing the war up to that point was a joke played on him by God. He is somewhat incapable of coming to terms with his own weaknesses, as his pride gets in his way.
Out of the blue, an angel would come to save France, or so he claimed. In 1429, Jeanne D’Arc would turn the tides of the war, and France would fall terribly in love with her, if only because of how selflessly she devoted herself to both him and God. She was captured by the Burgundians and sold to England to be burned at the stake as a witch. This would solidify France’s contempt for England, and he would struggle to release this grudge against the Englishman for many years. It was hard for France to comprehend how God could allow such a disaster, and he held on to the belief that she would be reincarnated as someone else who could live a long, healthy, happy life.
In the early 16th century, France would discover his dear protégé, New France, or as he is known today, Canada. And then probably forget about him pretty quickly, since no one seems to remember poor Canada’s name. French was also declared the official language of France’s government around the same time, so France really begin to take pride in his language. From that point on, he would be reluctant to speak any language but his own, and stubbornly mix his own into any other language he was forced to speak.
The Edict of Nantes would grant religious tolerance to Protestants, but it would still be a long time before France came to really accept other religions. He would remain somewhat of a bigot even up to present day.
Every country dreamt about becoming powerful, more powerful than they ever were before, and France was no exception. In the beginning of the 17th century, France participated in the Thirty Years War and became the dominant military power on the continent. This led him to believe he had a shot at European domination, and when his beloved Sun King attempted just this, France was entirely supportive of his plans. Regardless of the fact he failed miserably in taking over Europe, France still remembers Louis XIV’s reign as his strongest era.
And then the death of the Sun King in 1715 denoted the decline of France. During the Seven Years War, France would lose Canada to England, deepening his hatred for the island nation. In recent years, France tends to release grudges easily, sacrificing pride for compromise and what’s ‘right’, but at this point in his history, he turned around and helped England’s colony, ‘the new world’, secede. This move was almost purely done out of spite for England, despite France at the time couldn’t really afford to help the newly formed country of America. This move would help decide the fate of France, bring down Feudalism, the Estates General and ultimately, Monarchist rule.
Everything came to a decisive climax on July 14, 1789 when starving, angry peasants stormed the Bastille, gathered the weapons stockpiled there and began the French revolution. This dramatic move signified the beginning of France’s decent into madness, a rapid downward spiral in which he would turn against his own king and queen. He avoids talking about these years in pleasant conversation, as both the things he witnessed and partook in are horrible and disturbing to the extreme.
Along the road to madness came France declaring war on Austria and his revolution frightening the rest of Europe. The first republic was declared, France killed his own king and queen and the Committee of Public Safety was instilled. This would come to be known as an irony if nothing else, as the horrifying Robespierre and the Reign of Terror would rip through France with a whirlwind of destruction until he himself was killed. During the Reign of Terror, France himself was entirely lost to madness, authorising the deaths of anyone and everyone who got in his way. Although the guillotine was invented as a “humane way to kill someone”, its usage during the Terror was anything but humane. There was a day wherein over 1000 people were executed by guillotine, likely for crimes they did not commit. These years are not only seen as an embarrassment to France, but brought him horrible guilt in recent years for the events that transpired, despite the fact he had more or less lost his mind at the time. One year later and Robespierre was disposed of, but the government was still unstable and the revolution continued, as did France’s insanity.
And then, in 1799, Napoleon staged his famous coup d’etat and the Revolution was over. This meant a restoration of France’s sanity, and led France to become militarized. He would try once more to dominate Europe, but this time with a stable government and a strong leader, he would almost succeed. From 1803 until 1815, France would acquire an empire larger than he had ever gained before. This would be his strongest bid for European dominance, and at this time, France had become megalomaniacal.
The war ended in French defeat, with Napoleon shipped off to saint Helena, but with France’s government much more stable than it had been during the revolution. Saying this, in the next hundred years, France would undergo two more kings and two more republics, and the Franco-Prussian war. France will lose this battle to Prussia, and the strain on their relationship would increase with France losing land to Prussia and having to repay him war debts. He would come to exert his revenge in the coming years.
From the years of 1914 until 1918, the first of the World Wars was fought. The battle of Verdun was the longest battle in the history of warfare. Although France was brave in every sense of the word, with his citizens coining phrases such as “Vous ne les laisserez pas passer, mes camarades” and “Courage! On les aura!”, France became bitter and resentful of war almost entirely because of this battle. Over 163,000 of his own were dead, and half a million more wounded from the efforts of the battle, and when the war finally ended, he couldn’t have been more grateful to be done with the war. He helped found the League of Nations in 1919, one of his first moves towards compromise and peace as opposed to warfare and revenge.
Except the treaty of Versailles almost entirely undermined that effort. He took back the lands Prussia had confiscated from him in the previous years and took the first steps in dissolving his old friend. With England and America strangling off supplies for longer than was necessary, Germany starved and became radicalized, a move that the rest of Europe, and the world, would come to regret in the coming years.
The 1920’s were called the “Crazy Years” in France; it was a fantastic period of prospering culture. France had always been into painting, but it would be at this time France would become interesting in writing. It was also his least xenophobic period, as at this time, there were more immigrants in France than there were in America. He would come to welcome the influx of cultures around him with open arms and develop a unique creative scene centred on his cafés and Parisian life. The black-beret-striped-shirt stereotype came from this period in his history.
Things would collapse again in 1939 with the advent of World War Two. Germany invaded France, France collapsed and the Vichy Puppet Regime was installed. Although the French Resistance Movement would push back against the German occupation, France’s aristocracy would sell out the country to the Nazis, and France himself would become a depressed puppet for Germany to use. D-Day and the storming of Normandy would signal the end of German occupation in France, but France would be resentful of Germany’s actions for years to come.
The rest of the 20th century brought France two more Republics, the crisis in Algeria, the first Socialist president, a racist political party called the National Front and the dissolving of said party and ultimately, France switching over to the Euro. The same period of time would also bring a greater sense of maturity to France with his work in the European Union, the ability to forgive other nations for their crimes and the ability to compromise, a rare skill indeed for a nation. Existentialist values from writers such as Sartre and Camus would replace Machiavellian thought in France’s life. Peacekeeping would become an invaluable interest to France, and the days of his territorial expansion and military conquest would be left behind in favour of seeking for a better future.
Abilities/Special Powers:
It isn’t exactly clarified in the Hetalia universe, but the countries are either immortal or they possess an extended life span. They also are stronger than most people, (IE baby America lifting up a bull and spinning it around), and tend to be more resilient. (It’s implied that Italy has survived a grenade more or less blowing up in his mouth.) France is also a wonderful chef and probably would have some ability to design and make clothing, not to mention he is extremely versed in the art of war and swordsmanship.
It would be reasonable to assume he would be stronger, more resilient and faster than most people, not to mention versed with the sword, but he may only have the strength/dexterity/stamina of a few men, rather than a whole army, like it is implied in the series.
In addition to his other abilities, it’s also implied he has to ability to disappear into thin air, as he does to a tourist visiting his country after he’s done speaking with her. I would say this probably means he’s very fast, so he would probably be a little faster than most humans as well. He also seems to have the ability to strip down within seconds.
Third-Person Sample: "Un billet pour barcelona, s'il vous plaît."
Plane rides were slightly more expensive and usually a lot shorter, but there was something about the overnight ride by train that appealed to France. Maybe it was the endless hours he would be entitled to by himself, time to think and contemplate the supper ahead of him. But if he was going to be honest with himself, it was because he liked to sleep and feel at ease as he travelled; rarely did the Frenchman voluntarily venture outside of Europe, and when he did, it was always first class. The time in a private cabin with a nice bed would provide him ample time for rest and all the space he needed to prepare himself for a meal. He thought it would be best if he avoided eating much on his trip over, deciding instead to save his appetites for when he made it to Spain’s house.
The walk to the platform was pleasant, the crisp Parisian air filtering into his lungs as he pulled out a cigarette, watching mothers and their children step onto the train. He would have one last cigarette before taking his journal, aware that there were spots on the train designated for smokers but he didn’t really want to smell like an ashtray when his friend greeted him. His tongue wet dry lips slowly, a hand rolled cigarette pulled between them as France leaned against a sign.
This was nice. The good kind of nice. He couldn’t remember the last time that Spain and him had been together alone, for a reason outside of work or politics. It could be argued that everything came down to politics, but Francis couldn’t agree. If it had to do with the European Union, the fact Europe was a failed state or the horrible economy that the members of the continent had been cursed with, well, that was politics. But to share a dinner and forget about the world around them for a night, to reminisce over the past with a hint of nostalgia staining the edge of every word, that was different. Francis glanced up from his cigarette as the final boarding call to Barcelona was announced over the loud speaker, rapid-fire electronic-muddled French jolting through his system.
Disregarding the smoking policy that he was more than aware of, France boarded the train with the cigarette held firm between his lips. Who was going to stop the blond Frenchman from enjoying the last of his southern French tobacco? It took only three more drags before the burning paper was disposed of, and his fingers were rubbing together to absorb the scent of nicotine under his fingertips.
As soon as France was seated, he was leaning back, closing his eyes to reflect, shark biscuit earbuds thrumming with the low hum of Mausse in his ears.
“Tu que piensas que va a pasar?” He had said it without thinking much about the answer. Which was strange really, because armed to the teeth with weapons, sheathed in metal and fighting for a dying king, one would think that he would be more focused on the outcome of the war. Antonio had smiled sadly at France, and he knew from that point, it had been in vain. The country shifted in his place on the train, his dream derailing for a moment to bring him to a state of full consciousness, a steward glancing in his cabin before moving on. “Merde…” murmured France, before drifting off again.
In his more recent years, France had come to be known as a generous country. He did what he could to keep the peace and to promote equality, especially social equality between his people and the other countries. This had not always been the case. His thoughts danced around the sunken cheeks of his own peasants, starving without hope for salvation, then to the laughing memory of a fat king and greedy queen enjoy the spoils of their gluttony. And then the thoughts were gone again, this time before a friend-turned-enemy fighting beside the big-browed devil.
“Comment pourrais-tu, Toni…?” snarled France between clenched teeth. It was rhetorical, meant only for his own ears because he knew the answer to his question. As Soult led him forward through the lines of Spanish men, France couldn’t help but keep his eyes on Spain, narrowed and enraged. In reality, France had no right to be angry with his friend; he had been the one who had oppressed him, had betrayed him. And at the end of the day, justice had been served with France’s retreat. “Non--!” cried France, only to be jarred awake by his own shout.
“Y’a-t-il un problème?” France fluttered his eyes open to meet eyes with the steward from before. He blinked for a moment, then tore an earbud out and smiled, shaking his head. “Non, non, je suis bien, merci, monsieur.” said France. Once again, he was alone in his cabin, and he seized the opportunity to glance out the window. The music had dissipated, now a crackled whisper in his lap, silenced by him removing the headphone jack from his music player. Perhaps it would be best if he avoided sleeping for the time being.
He got up with a sigh, heading over to the dining cabin to order a small cheese plate, some bread and a glass of wine. He’d planned to consume his meal alone, but was joined by a lovely dark-haired vixen with a red dress and dark eyes. Francis whittled away time conversing with her, exchanging leering looks, compliments and flirtations, before finding a number tucked in his breast pocket as she walked away. How interesting. Except now he was unsatisfied, alone, and had no reason to be in the dining cabin any longer. He didn’t wish to smell like smoke for Tony’s sake, and by the time he’d considered following after her, she was gone. It would be ridiculous to look in every cabin of the train to find her, so, with a grunt, Francis was heading back to his cabin.
It took a long time to get back to sleep.
“C’est Barcelona!”
With a groan, France was putting a hand to his head and blinking his eyes open, groggy from being woken up from a rather delicious dream. Oh, oh wonderful. And now he was excited to boot. He glanced around the cabin, then to the shut door and reached up to rub an eye, shutting the door and locking it before taking care of business.
The cab ride to Spain’s house wasn’t too long, sort of quiet or at least he thought it was quiet because he wasn’t paying attention to a thing the driver was saying. Actually, in retrospect, it was pretty noisy, but anything transpiring within the realm of reality was being drowned out by France’s thought, aroused (quite literally) by his musings on the train ride. He paid the driver and tipped him, a rarity for France, then grabbed his bag and walked up the steps to his friend’s house. It looked as nice as it always had, rustic exterior with plants about the front yard, the sun shining against his back as he paused to observe the door.
Merde. He hadn’t had time to make sure if he looked all right. Oh well, there was no time for that now. Raising a hand to knock on the door, France steadied his breath and drew a smile across his lips.
“Toni? C’est moi, République française.” said France.
First-Person Sample: blah blah french stuff blah merique is stupid blah
DW username: N/A
Plurk: N/A
Character Name: France
Series: Axis Powers Hetalia
Timeline: Modern day
Canon Resource Link: Here!
Character History: Proud to a fault, France’s haughty attitudes date back to before the first millennium C.E. and his dear Emperor Charlemagne. However, before that, France had been somewhat of a roguish child, founded in the 50’s B.C.E. by Caesar on his territorial conquest for Rome. Originally the land of Gaul, France was founded as Gallia, the Latin word for Gaul. For nearly five hundred years, Rome influenced little Gallia in his affairs, language and culture, and surprisingly enough, the little nation was all too happy to receive this influence and domination, as when Rome had first come to conquer him, his society was in a state of economic decline.
But things were to change in 430 when the Frankish tribes, or Germania really, invaded his lands. The Roman influence was fading, and Gallia was returning to the Celtic traditions and language he had held so long ago. It didn’t really even bother him in 476 when Rome fell, because by then, the invading tribes protected him. The boy would grow up to uphold mentality of selling himself to the highest bidder and keeping his loyalty to no one, as though France was and still is unscrupulously honest, he is in no sense of the word “loyal”.
Christianity would come when Clovis, king of the Franks, united France as a Frankish kingdom, deemed Paris his capital and converted to Catholicism himself. Interestingly enough, the Franks didn’t decide to get rid of the Latin language that little Gallia had grown accustomed to, so Gallia continued to speak it.
When Rome had raised little Gallia, the little boy had always insisted that he would grow up to be as strong of an empire as Rome. It was every country’s dream to acquire an empire, but with Charlemagne conquering a third of Europe, smashing the pagan Saxons and being crowned the emperor of Rome by the pope, (despite Rome being, well, nonexistent), this dream became a reality for little Gallia. His emperor taught him that paganism was bad and punishable by death at this point, so thus began France’s long-standing intolerance for religions besides his own.
The empire would not last, as in the late 800s, the Carolingian dynasty would fall. However, another important concept would come to exist and play an important role in Gallia’s life: Feudalism. And beyond the concept of feudalism, the beginning of severe class separation in French society that would not collapse until the French Revolution many years later.
It was the French Pope Urban that would initiate the first crusades in the name of Christianity, and more specifically, Catholicism. Although it further demonstrated Gallia’s intolerance for other religions, it also united his kingdom as a people loyal to their country, rather than just loyal to whatever region they may be in.
The monk Suger, an adviser to both Louis VI (the fat) and Louis VII, was the first to insist the king would be referred to as the “King of France” instead of “The King of the Franks.” Gallia was now France, a united kingdom and people. Crusades would continue, including the infamous Cathar crusade, which ended up gaining Languedoc for France.
One of the most determining moves of France’s king happened in the late 13th and early 14th century when Philip the Fair would establish the Estates General. Further the class divide, the three Estates would come to represent the clergy, the nobility and more or less, the common people of France. France himself sided almost entirely with the first two estates, determining the last to be an afterthought just as his kings did. Favouritism and nepotism would become a dominating force in France’s life for many years to come.
Perhaps one of France’s greatest friendships would be forged in 1295 when the Franco-Scottish alliance was formed with Scotland. France would come to treasure Scotland’s interactions, and to rely on him as a partner in crime when it came to bothering England until the Union of Crowns. This alliance would come to mean a lot more during the upcoming Hundred Year’s War. (Which actually extended 116 years!)
About two hundred years earlier, one of France’s vassals, William the Conqueror, would claim the English throne for himself. For two hundred years, French kings would rule England, and when the throne was comprised in France, Edward the Third of England would declare war on France. For the first half of the Hundred Year’s War, France would suck. Although he had a territorial advantage and larger armies, England had a secret weapon up his sleeve: the longbow. England was able to crush France’s forces, despite France being from a higher location than England, and then took over the top half of France. The Bubonic plague, economic decline and starving peasants would halve France’s population and weaken him: France claimed that all of this, including losing the war up to that point was a joke played on him by God. He is somewhat incapable of coming to terms with his own weaknesses, as his pride gets in his way.
Out of the blue, an angel would come to save France, or so he claimed. In 1429, Jeanne D’Arc would turn the tides of the war, and France would fall terribly in love with her, if only because of how selflessly she devoted herself to both him and God. She was captured by the Burgundians and sold to England to be burned at the stake as a witch. This would solidify France’s contempt for England, and he would struggle to release this grudge against the Englishman for many years. It was hard for France to comprehend how God could allow such a disaster, and he held on to the belief that she would be reincarnated as someone else who could live a long, healthy, happy life.
In the early 16th century, France would discover his dear protégé, New France, or as he is known today, Canada. And then probably forget about him pretty quickly, since no one seems to remember poor Canada’s name. French was also declared the official language of France’s government around the same time, so France really begin to take pride in his language. From that point on, he would be reluctant to speak any language but his own, and stubbornly mix his own into any other language he was forced to speak.
The Edict of Nantes would grant religious tolerance to Protestants, but it would still be a long time before France came to really accept other religions. He would remain somewhat of a bigot even up to present day.
Every country dreamt about becoming powerful, more powerful than they ever were before, and France was no exception. In the beginning of the 17th century, France participated in the Thirty Years War and became the dominant military power on the continent. This led him to believe he had a shot at European domination, and when his beloved Sun King attempted just this, France was entirely supportive of his plans. Regardless of the fact he failed miserably in taking over Europe, France still remembers Louis XIV’s reign as his strongest era.
And then the death of the Sun King in 1715 denoted the decline of France. During the Seven Years War, France would lose Canada to England, deepening his hatred for the island nation. In recent years, France tends to release grudges easily, sacrificing pride for compromise and what’s ‘right’, but at this point in his history, he turned around and helped England’s colony, ‘the new world’, secede. This move was almost purely done out of spite for England, despite France at the time couldn’t really afford to help the newly formed country of America. This move would help decide the fate of France, bring down Feudalism, the Estates General and ultimately, Monarchist rule.
Everything came to a decisive climax on July 14, 1789 when starving, angry peasants stormed the Bastille, gathered the weapons stockpiled there and began the French revolution. This dramatic move signified the beginning of France’s decent into madness, a rapid downward spiral in which he would turn against his own king and queen. He avoids talking about these years in pleasant conversation, as both the things he witnessed and partook in are horrible and disturbing to the extreme.
Along the road to madness came France declaring war on Austria and his revolution frightening the rest of Europe. The first republic was declared, France killed his own king and queen and the Committee of Public Safety was instilled. This would come to be known as an irony if nothing else, as the horrifying Robespierre and the Reign of Terror would rip through France with a whirlwind of destruction until he himself was killed. During the Reign of Terror, France himself was entirely lost to madness, authorising the deaths of anyone and everyone who got in his way. Although the guillotine was invented as a “humane way to kill someone”, its usage during the Terror was anything but humane. There was a day wherein over 1000 people were executed by guillotine, likely for crimes they did not commit. These years are not only seen as an embarrassment to France, but brought him horrible guilt in recent years for the events that transpired, despite the fact he had more or less lost his mind at the time. One year later and Robespierre was disposed of, but the government was still unstable and the revolution continued, as did France’s insanity.
And then, in 1799, Napoleon staged his famous coup d’etat and the Revolution was over. This meant a restoration of France’s sanity, and led France to become militarized. He would try once more to dominate Europe, but this time with a stable government and a strong leader, he would almost succeed. From 1803 until 1815, France would acquire an empire larger than he had ever gained before. This would be his strongest bid for European dominance, and at this time, France had become megalomaniacal.
The war ended in French defeat, with Napoleon shipped off to saint Helena, but with France’s government much more stable than it had been during the revolution. Saying this, in the next hundred years, France would undergo two more kings and two more republics, and the Franco-Prussian war. France will lose this battle to Prussia, and the strain on their relationship would increase with France losing land to Prussia and having to repay him war debts. He would come to exert his revenge in the coming years.
From the years of 1914 until 1918, the first of the World Wars was fought. The battle of Verdun was the longest battle in the history of warfare. Although France was brave in every sense of the word, with his citizens coining phrases such as “Vous ne les laisserez pas passer, mes camarades” and “Courage! On les aura!”, France became bitter and resentful of war almost entirely because of this battle. Over 163,000 of his own were dead, and half a million more wounded from the efforts of the battle, and when the war finally ended, he couldn’t have been more grateful to be done with the war. He helped found the League of Nations in 1919, one of his first moves towards compromise and peace as opposed to warfare and revenge.
Except the treaty of Versailles almost entirely undermined that effort. He took back the lands Prussia had confiscated from him in the previous years and took the first steps in dissolving his old friend. With England and America strangling off supplies for longer than was necessary, Germany starved and became radicalized, a move that the rest of Europe, and the world, would come to regret in the coming years.
The 1920’s were called the “Crazy Years” in France; it was a fantastic period of prospering culture. France had always been into painting, but it would be at this time France would become interesting in writing. It was also his least xenophobic period, as at this time, there were more immigrants in France than there were in America. He would come to welcome the influx of cultures around him with open arms and develop a unique creative scene centred on his cafés and Parisian life. The black-beret-striped-shirt stereotype came from this period in his history.
Things would collapse again in 1939 with the advent of World War Two. Germany invaded France, France collapsed and the Vichy Puppet Regime was installed. Although the French Resistance Movement would push back against the German occupation, France’s aristocracy would sell out the country to the Nazis, and France himself would become a depressed puppet for Germany to use. D-Day and the storming of Normandy would signal the end of German occupation in France, but France would be resentful of Germany’s actions for years to come.
The rest of the 20th century brought France two more Republics, the crisis in Algeria, the first Socialist president, a racist political party called the National Front and the dissolving of said party and ultimately, France switching over to the Euro. The same period of time would also bring a greater sense of maturity to France with his work in the European Union, the ability to forgive other nations for their crimes and the ability to compromise, a rare skill indeed for a nation. Existentialist values from writers such as Sartre and Camus would replace Machiavellian thought in France’s life. Peacekeeping would become an invaluable interest to France, and the days of his territorial expansion and military conquest would be left behind in favour of seeking for a better future.
Abilities/Special Powers:
It isn’t exactly clarified in the Hetalia universe, but the countries are either immortal or they possess an extended life span. They also are stronger than most people, (IE baby America lifting up a bull and spinning it around), and tend to be more resilient. (It’s implied that Italy has survived a grenade more or less blowing up in his mouth.) France is also a wonderful chef and probably would have some ability to design and make clothing, not to mention he is extremely versed in the art of war and swordsmanship.
It would be reasonable to assume he would be stronger, more resilient and faster than most people, not to mention versed with the sword, but he may only have the strength/dexterity/stamina of a few men, rather than a whole army, like it is implied in the series.
In addition to his other abilities, it’s also implied he has to ability to disappear into thin air, as he does to a tourist visiting his country after he’s done speaking with her. I would say this probably means he’s very fast, so he would probably be a little faster than most humans as well. He also seems to have the ability to strip down within seconds.
Third-Person Sample: "Un billet pour barcelona, s'il vous plaît."
Plane rides were slightly more expensive and usually a lot shorter, but there was something about the overnight ride by train that appealed to France. Maybe it was the endless hours he would be entitled to by himself, time to think and contemplate the supper ahead of him. But if he was going to be honest with himself, it was because he liked to sleep and feel at ease as he travelled; rarely did the Frenchman voluntarily venture outside of Europe, and when he did, it was always first class. The time in a private cabin with a nice bed would provide him ample time for rest and all the space he needed to prepare himself for a meal. He thought it would be best if he avoided eating much on his trip over, deciding instead to save his appetites for when he made it to Spain’s house.
The walk to the platform was pleasant, the crisp Parisian air filtering into his lungs as he pulled out a cigarette, watching mothers and their children step onto the train. He would have one last cigarette before taking his journal, aware that there were spots on the train designated for smokers but he didn’t really want to smell like an ashtray when his friend greeted him. His tongue wet dry lips slowly, a hand rolled cigarette pulled between them as France leaned against a sign.
This was nice. The good kind of nice. He couldn’t remember the last time that Spain and him had been together alone, for a reason outside of work or politics. It could be argued that everything came down to politics, but Francis couldn’t agree. If it had to do with the European Union, the fact Europe was a failed state or the horrible economy that the members of the continent had been cursed with, well, that was politics. But to share a dinner and forget about the world around them for a night, to reminisce over the past with a hint of nostalgia staining the edge of every word, that was different. Francis glanced up from his cigarette as the final boarding call to Barcelona was announced over the loud speaker, rapid-fire electronic-muddled French jolting through his system.
Disregarding the smoking policy that he was more than aware of, France boarded the train with the cigarette held firm between his lips. Who was going to stop the blond Frenchman from enjoying the last of his southern French tobacco? It took only three more drags before the burning paper was disposed of, and his fingers were rubbing together to absorb the scent of nicotine under his fingertips.
As soon as France was seated, he was leaning back, closing his eyes to reflect, shark biscuit earbuds thrumming with the low hum of Mausse in his ears.
“Tu que piensas que va a pasar?” He had said it without thinking much about the answer. Which was strange really, because armed to the teeth with weapons, sheathed in metal and fighting for a dying king, one would think that he would be more focused on the outcome of the war. Antonio had smiled sadly at France, and he knew from that point, it had been in vain. The country shifted in his place on the train, his dream derailing for a moment to bring him to a state of full consciousness, a steward glancing in his cabin before moving on. “Merde…” murmured France, before drifting off again.
In his more recent years, France had come to be known as a generous country. He did what he could to keep the peace and to promote equality, especially social equality between his people and the other countries. This had not always been the case. His thoughts danced around the sunken cheeks of his own peasants, starving without hope for salvation, then to the laughing memory of a fat king and greedy queen enjoy the spoils of their gluttony. And then the thoughts were gone again, this time before a friend-turned-enemy fighting beside the big-browed devil.
“Comment pourrais-tu, Toni…?” snarled France between clenched teeth. It was rhetorical, meant only for his own ears because he knew the answer to his question. As Soult led him forward through the lines of Spanish men, France couldn’t help but keep his eyes on Spain, narrowed and enraged. In reality, France had no right to be angry with his friend; he had been the one who had oppressed him, had betrayed him. And at the end of the day, justice had been served with France’s retreat. “Non--!” cried France, only to be jarred awake by his own shout.
“Y’a-t-il un problème?” France fluttered his eyes open to meet eyes with the steward from before. He blinked for a moment, then tore an earbud out and smiled, shaking his head. “Non, non, je suis bien, merci, monsieur.” said France. Once again, he was alone in his cabin, and he seized the opportunity to glance out the window. The music had dissipated, now a crackled whisper in his lap, silenced by him removing the headphone jack from his music player. Perhaps it would be best if he avoided sleeping for the time being.
He got up with a sigh, heading over to the dining cabin to order a small cheese plate, some bread and a glass of wine. He’d planned to consume his meal alone, but was joined by a lovely dark-haired vixen with a red dress and dark eyes. Francis whittled away time conversing with her, exchanging leering looks, compliments and flirtations, before finding a number tucked in his breast pocket as she walked away. How interesting. Except now he was unsatisfied, alone, and had no reason to be in the dining cabin any longer. He didn’t wish to smell like smoke for Tony’s sake, and by the time he’d considered following after her, she was gone. It would be ridiculous to look in every cabin of the train to find her, so, with a grunt, Francis was heading back to his cabin.
It took a long time to get back to sleep.
“C’est Barcelona!”
With a groan, France was putting a hand to his head and blinking his eyes open, groggy from being woken up from a rather delicious dream. Oh, oh wonderful. And now he was excited to boot. He glanced around the cabin, then to the shut door and reached up to rub an eye, shutting the door and locking it before taking care of business.
The cab ride to Spain’s house wasn’t too long, sort of quiet or at least he thought it was quiet because he wasn’t paying attention to a thing the driver was saying. Actually, in retrospect, it was pretty noisy, but anything transpiring within the realm of reality was being drowned out by France’s thought, aroused (quite literally) by his musings on the train ride. He paid the driver and tipped him, a rarity for France, then grabbed his bag and walked up the steps to his friend’s house. It looked as nice as it always had, rustic exterior with plants about the front yard, the sun shining against his back as he paused to observe the door.
Merde. He hadn’t had time to make sure if he looked all right. Oh well, there was no time for that now. Raising a hand to knock on the door, France steadied his breath and drew a smile across his lips.
“Toni? C’est moi, République française.” said France.
First-Person Sample: blah blah french stuff blah merique is stupid blah
