Why have France always fought with England, and with Germany, but only rarely do

Question: Why have France always fought with England, and with Germany, but only rarely does Germany fight with England!?

the only two examples I know are WWI and WWII!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Primarily because the country of Germany did not exist until 1871, and because Great Britain had no need to get involved in the disorganized mess of German states extant prior to Bismarck's unification!. It was only after Germany became an industrial and political dynamo in the late 1800's, and especially after it began building a large naval fleet, primarily for the purpose of competing with Britain on the world stage, that there became any source of conflict!. Even then, it took the special kind of idiocy of a Kaiser Wilhelm II to turn Britain-which would have a natural interest in working with Germany to restrain Russia, which it had always had conflicting interests with-into a potential enemy!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

France and England are closer to each other than Germany and England therefore it was easier to come into conflict!.
Between 1066 and the Tudor dynasty all the Kings of England were French and they fought with other French monarchs over territory in France!. They just used English armies who had to serve their French rulers!.!.
After the Tudor and Stuart dynastys the Kings of England were Dutch and German and during this period both France and England were trying to build up world wide Empires so this caused conflict again!. Germany as a nation did not exist until 1871 and was a collection of small states some of which sometimes fought on the side of France and sometimes against!.
After 1871 the picture changed as Germany sought to acquire an Empire, and both England and France saw this as a threat which brought them closer together into military alliance for the two world wars!.
If you want a previous example of German soldiers fighting England you have to go back to 1688 when the Dutchman William of Orange invaded England with an army of German and Dutch troops to depose James II with the help of Protestant English traitors!.
They landed at Torquay and James sent an English army to oppose them which fled before they even met in battle so it was a walkover for WilliamWww@QuestionHome@Com

100 years war was a war between France and England
also, the Seven Years War, which was the real first and truly "world war", was between France and England on a global scale for world-wide empire, also the Normand (French) Invaders conquering England in 1066 AD, plus the ever-present contempt between English and French in North America even today!.!.!. You're right, there was a lot of fighting between England and France!. Germany in the past didn't exist, it was the Holy Roman Empire, and some "Ritters Orden" Prussian State, and Bavaria was virtually its own country!. "Germany" involved with stuff happening right there, and not so involved with wandering and trying to build Empire and competing over the same lands like France and England (competed for North America, India, etc)!. For centuries, Germany was not a cohesive nation, just a bunch of autonomous little kingdoms and alliances!. France always tried to budge their borders over their neighbour's, not just "Germany" but also Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, and England!. (Check the history of establishment of the nation of Holland and Belgium and in relation to France)!.!.!.!. and then later in history, Napoleon fighting the neighbours!. German Kingdoms Bavaria and Prussia were partly ALLIES with England during Napoleonic wars, and even during the Seven Years War, and even during the American Revolution, England asked for help with some German soldiers!. (also a lot of the Royal Family relatives came from Germany, like Queen Victoria's husband for one example) Germany and England were not really set up to be enemies, until WW1 in 1914!. Unfortunately, most people can't think past WW1 and WW2 and think that impression of Germany is all there is to Germany and history thereof!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Most of Germany is in the North, with the exceptions of the areas that were long ago part of the Roman Empire!. This would mean anywhere south of Mainz, like Baden-Wurttemburg and Bavaria!. This meant that the majority of Germans were never forced to become Catholic!. Many more became protestant after Calvinism appeared in Switzerland!. France is very Catholic, and with the exceptions of the Cathars and the Huguenots, were against any rebellion against what they thought of as "The True Church"!. The French gradually exterminated or drove out these two dissenting groups!.
When Henry VIII of England got his divorce in 1535, his subsequent excommunication from the Catholic Church led him to declare his own church, hence the Anglican Church, or Church of England!. Therefore, after a long process, with some exceptions and setbacks during the times of Charles I, Charles II and James II, and the short period of Mary I "Bloody Mary", England gradually became militantly protestant!. That made the German states, particularly Hannover, Saxony, and Brunswick, natural allies, with soldiers from these small countries often allied or directly serving in the British Army!. The Royal House of Hannover directly intermarried with the House of Orange, and brought about a close union with the two royal houses!. The early King Georges were evidently not able to even speak much English!.
Queen Victoria had the dubious honor of having both her grandsons, King George V and Kaiser Wilhelm, on opposite side of the First World War!. This was so embarrassing to the royal family of England that they changed their last names from "Hannover" to "Windsor"!. In Southern Ontario, Canada, the Cities of Berlin and others with German names were renamed Kitchener, London, and Waterloo!.
So, to recap, the wars in Europe were fought over for many reasons, most notably greed, but also over religion!. Britain and most of Germany was Protestant, although of different types, and France was Catholic!. Britain and many German states had constitutional monarchs and a functioning parliament!. France was generally under enlightened despots like Louis XIV!.
Britain and the House of Hannover were intermarried!.
Britain and many smaller German states were often making up the same armies!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

the french hate everyone but themselves!. I know this is not helpful but still, I just had to get that out there!. also france I don't believe has really fought with the UK, and least not that recently!. The reason why France so often fought with Germany was because of Alsace-Lorraine, a territory that shares the border between the two countries!. This has caused hatred beween the two countries in the past!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

This is probably due to the fact that France shares a border Germany while England does not!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

hmmm!.!. maybe cause france is in the middle of england and germany, geographically!?Www@QuestionHome@Com