Will France change the way America changed after the Pearl Harbor bombings.

2015-11-15T21:32:43-05:00

They say that history repeats itself. Today I was thinking about when America wanted to stay clear of a war and was drawn into it as a result of the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbor and invading the Philippines. American attitude changed, public attitude and actions became focused as being being a part of the war effort. Big business stopped manufacturing for the public and began manufacturing to support the military. Individuals became focused on what they could do to help the war effort metal drives, paper drives, .... The public tolerated restrictions on Japanese Americans, German Americans, and Italian Americans. America officially declared war on the Axis powers. We changed our policy about becoming involved in world conflicts and quit the policy of isolationism.

France had been trying to take the high ground with regards to it's foreign policy in known terrorist regions. "Hollande’s Syria strategy was caught between Putin’s offensive and Obama’s reluctance. He had chosen the high moral ground, refusing to associate either with a brutal regime or a bloody opposition, but this was not necessarily the most practical option in a situation that involves choosing the least bad option rather than the best one."

France has been riding the fence with it's foreign policy with regards to the Assad/Hamas arrangement and in it's view on Israel and Palestine.
"just a week before the attacks, France caved in to Palestinian demands and backed their UN Security Council resolution calling not for a negotiated peace agreement that would take into account Israeli security concerns along with Palestinian conditions, but rather for a full Israeli withdrawal to the pre- 1967 lands within three years."

Since the bombings in France his position has changed and he is now saying that ISIS is the enemy and France's response will be merciless.

The bombing in France will undoubtedly change their citizen's position on involvement in Syria and in the fight against ISIS. France is experiencing National Unity at this time the same as the U.S. experienced after the Pearl Harbor bombing and the 9/11 attacks.

Already we see the reports of France's airstrikes on ISIS positions.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Nov 15 at 2015 9:35 PM

2015-11-15T21:35:40-05:00

I'm rather curious as to whether Article 5 will be invoked or not...

Response by SN Greg Wright made Nov 15 at 2015 9:53 PM

2015-11-15T21:53:38-05:00

CPT Private RallyPoint Member One hopes that it at least causes them to stop fighting us at every turn (remember when they wouldn't let us use their airspace?). Then again, they dropped 20 bombs today and called that a 'massive response.' My guess is that individual Navy and AF pilots drop more than that per week.

Pearl Harbor spawned the greatest industrial spurt in the history of humankind, and made the Greatest Generation. I don't think that'll ever happen again, unfortunately.

Response by COL Sam Russell made Nov 15 at 2015 10:08 PM

2015-11-15T22:08:17-05:00

Hope so.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Nov 15 at 2015 10:31 PM

2015-11-15T22:31:06-05:00

Doubt it. Their sympathies lie more with the Muslim nations than with us.

Response by 1SG Nick Baker made Nov 15 at 2015 10:59 PM

2015-11-15T22:59:36-05:00

France has a large, if not the largest in Europe, Muslim population. Will France round up all the Muslims like America did with the Japanese? Will it cause France to send more troops to help in the Middle East, I hope. That will be less Americans deployed.

Response by MAJ Alvin B. made Nov 15 at 2015 11:03 PM

2015-11-15T23:03:39-05:00

I do not think so. In the US we mobilized to fight a war. As part of that effort we mobilized the citizenry and rationed materials, food, fuel, etc... to support war production. The attack on Pearl Harbor allowed us to enter a war we had been preparing to fight for nearly two years. This is not A French Pearl Harbor.

Unless there is a greater tragedy, I do not see the French mobilizing for War in a similar fashion. This is not a war of mass troops formations to control large tracts of land. I suspect France will use tactics similar to those used in Africa and elsewhere. Tactics that do not call for large military formations, at least for the short term.

Th basic question, is France ready to invade Syria to defeat ISIS there. If so, who is willing to join them to take on ISIL, and the other ISIS inspired elements in the Magreb and the rest of the Middle East?

Response by LTC Bink Romanick made Nov 16 at 2015 12:06 AM

2015-11-16T00:06:43-05:00

CPT Private RallyPoint Member iwouldnt underestimate them. I see a major coalition forming. The major powers can't risk a Paris.

Response by SrA Edward Vong made Nov 16 at 2015 9:14 AM

2015-11-16T09:14:30-05:00

The US and France have always lived differently. I can see France responding, but maybe in a different way compared to the US.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 16 at 2015 9:45 AM

2015-11-16T09:45:59-05:00

CPT Private RallyPoint Member one of the big differences is there is no state to attack. When Perl Harbor was attacked, it was a sovereign nation (Japan). ISIS (ISIL) is an ideology based group without a home. Hard to launch a kinetic attack against such an enemy.

This will not end quickly.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 16 at 2015 10:11 AM

2015-11-16T10:11:47-05:00

I think it takes something as dramatic as this for other countries to realize that there is still a threat out there. No mater how much they want to avoid waging or being a part of war, there will always be those who drag them back down.

Response by MAJ Alvin B. made Nov 16 at 2015 4:56 PM

2015-11-16T16:56:40-05:00

The US position remains relatively unchanged with regard to ISIS

http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/war-on-is/2015/11/16/obama-large-us-troop-deployment-against-islamic-state-mistake/75866046/

Obama: Anti-ISIS strategy will not change

President Obama said the reterrorist attacks on Paris will lead to an “intensification” of the fight against Islamic State militants, but will not fundamentally change his strategy nor his reluctance to put more troops on the ground in Iraq and Syria

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Nov 16 at 2015 4:57 PM

2015-11-16T16:57:03-05:00

Yes

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Nov 16 at 2015 5:46 PM

2015-11-16T17:46:21-05:00

It depends on the National will to use the military. The 500 lbs. gorilla is ISIS in North Iraq who shares its ideology and guidance to the radical Muslims.

Response by MAJ Alvin B. made Nov 17 at 2015 10:56 AM

2015-11-17T10:56:31-05:00

Another good article in the topic which ties in with this thread.

https://news.vice.com/article/france-cant-put-enough-boots-on-the-ground-to-kick-the-islamic-states-ass

France Just Can't Put Enough Boots on the Ground to Wipe Out the Islamic State | VICE News

The powerful French military can do serious damage to IS, and do so in spectacular fashion. But winning a ground war against a brutal insurgency would be a very different story.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Nov 17 at 2015 2:48 PM

2015-11-17T14:48:09-05:00

I think it depends on the collective anger of the French people. They also have 4.7 million Muslims living in France.