After the war, Asian, African and Latin American countries raised the banner of national independence and liberation, the Western colonial system collapsed around the world, and almost all the overseas colonies of the Netherlands, Britain, Belgium and Portugal were lost.
While the overseas colonies of the old colonial empire collapsed, France suffered the least losses, and it can be said that "although it is still alive", it can still have an impact on the former colonies.
On the map of the globe, from Asia to South America, from the Indian Ocean to the African continent, France's influence is like the claws of a Gallic rooster, reaching every corner of the globe and ready to strike at any time.
The situation on the African continent was even more dire, and the French army was heavily guarded here. According to the International Organization of la Francophonie, an estimated 200 million Africans live in 31 French-speaking countries, and the status of French as a first or second language is unassailable.
The French-speaking population is expected to surge to 700 million in Africa by 2050, largely thanks to population growth in French-speaking African countries. At present, France's influence in Africa far exceeds that of the United Kingdom, the United States, and China, controlling the economies of many African countries, and having the largest number of troops stationed.
In the past few decades, whenever there has been unrest in African countries, France has sent the "Red Hat Army" to mediate. For this reason, France is known as the "African granny". Although France has recently dismantled some military bases in Africa, this is only a superficial phenomenon, and the French will not really withdraw from Africa.
If France weakens its forces in Africa too much, it will mean giving up the space it has already occupied. As can be seen from the military operations that have taken place in Chad, Mali and other countries in the past few years, no matter which political faction comes to power, France's "new interventionist" tactics towards Africa will not change.
Moreover, Africa has now become an important partner for Western countries and emerging economies in their search for energy and cooperation.
The French economy has a vital interest in Africa, especially the nuclear power giant Areva's investment in Niger's shaft mine, which is crucial to the operation of nuclear power in France. France accounts for 70% of nuclear power, and uranium ore from Mali, Niger, Chad and other countries provides one-third of the raw material for French nuclear power.
Therefore, in order to guarantee energy security and its own interests, it is impossible for France to ignore its influence in Africa.
France considers the crisis arc between Mauritania and Central Asia in Africa to be a strategically important region because of its abundant natural resources but also its hidden instability. To this end, France has long been prepared to successfully create a line of defense to control the main oceanic routes by building military bases in Abu Dhabi, Djibouti, Reunion Island, the Croze Islands and Kerguelen Island.
France has not only found a foothold in the oil-producing Gulf, but has also deployed troops in the interior of Africa, giving it the ability to conduct military operations in multiple directions.
At the same time, France has also turned its attention to the Asia-Pacific and Latin America. After the loss of the most important colonies in Asia in the 50s of the last century, East and Southeast Asia are now one of the most dynamic regions of the global economy.
France has embarked on a pivotal pivot to the Asia-Pacific region, and the many overseas territories in the South Pacific have become key to its implementation.
The South Pacific region is densely populated with more than 20,000 islands, most of which are scattered in more than a dozen countries. However, some geographically important and resource-rich islands are still occupied by foreign powers, among which France occupies the largest island, the most populous and the most economically developed.
New Caledonia, for example, has an area of up to 1860,000 square kilometers, and the 15 Pacific territories of the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and other countries combined are less than one-tenth the area of New Caledonia.
French Polynesia also covers an area of more than 4,100 square kilometers. In terms of population and economic development, the French Pacific Territory has a permanent population of more than 500,000 (excluding military personnel) and a per capita GDP of $30,000, both of which are among the best in the region.
These overseas territories are also rich in natural resources, especially for tourism and fishing.
According to the latest statistics, France has carried out 210 nuclear tests on territorial islands in the South Pacific since the manufacture of nuclear **, of which more than 190 were completed on Clipperton Island.
Clipperton Island, with an area of only 9 square kilometres, is an important storage base for nuclear waste in France. In addition to this, France has also put down roots in South America, the backyard of the United States, sending large numbers of troops and having overseas territories in the Caribbean and South America.
Among them, French Guiana, because of its only space launch center in France, has long been stationed thousands of French officers and soldiers, including the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment and the 9th Marine Regiment, which are good at jungle warfare.
Despite the fact that the native area is only 5430,000 square kilometers, but France's maritime exclusive economic zone covers an area of more than 10 million square kilometers, ranking second only to the United States in the world.
The numerous islands located in the Indian and Pacific Oceans give France a fishing area of about 17 million square kilometers and an estimated annual catch of more than 5 million tons, making France a major country in the field of fishing.
In order to protect such a vast territory, the French Foreign Legion played an important role in it. The Foreign Legion is mainly made up of foreign volunteers, and the proportion of national soldiers is less than a third.
This means that even if there is a ** in overseas military operations, the French people will not react aggressively, and it has to be said that this is a shrewd strategy.