The Failed Colonial Empire

A colonial empire is a collection of nations that were colonized by people from one state and were under its control. These nations may be overseas or adjacent to the imperial core. Compared to other significant European powers at the time, the history of the French Empire stands out sharply. The French experiment with colonies didn't turn out to be as successful, since they had lost most of their colonial lands to Britain by the end of the 18th century, although others like Britain, Spain, and Portugal already had flourishing foreign colonial empires.

However, it didn't matter because the social and political currents in France at the time would still have a significant influence on European politics in the following century. While Britain's colonial policy centered on domestic expansion, France was built in European battlefield superiority, and it was incredibly effective under Napoleon. France, who may have had the greatest army ever amassed in Europe at the time, ruled nearly all of Western Europe during his zenith.