Russian Rifle Division

[McIvan]

I was surprised to learn the other day that French KIA in WWII (not including the substantial civilian casualties from bombing and slave labour) was not far short of US KIA in all theatres....something like 400k to 480k. Given that the Germans took something like 200k casualties in the invasion of France I guess some French managed to fight after all.

That's what all these "cheese eating surrender monkey" threads are based on, aren't they? The performance in WWII? As if any other nation in 1939 would have done much better. As if the French sacrifices in WWI never existed.

The 400k French dead includes all the French units & divisions that fought in North Africa, central africa, Italy, southern france, Normandy, and the French army that fought in SE france in the closing campaigns against Germany. I don't recall if it included dead from the Marquis/resistance who controlled at times quite large areas with substantial units.

I get a sick feeling in my stomach to hear such casual disparagement of the French dead of WWII and the French formations such as the divisions commanded by Juin in Italy.