<P> Later in the 19th century , the navy recovered and became the second finest in the world after the Royal Navy . It conducted a successful blockade of Mexico in the Pastry War of 1838 and obliterated the Chinese navy at the Battle of Foochow in 1884 . It also served as an effective link between the growing parts of the French empire . The navy performed well during World War I , in which it mainly protected the naval lanes in the Mediterranean Sea . At the onset of the war , the French -- with 16 battleships , 6 cruisers , and 24 destroyers -- had the largest fleet in the Mediterranean . French defeats in the early stages of World War II , however , forced the British to destroy the French navy at Mers - el - Kebir in order to prevent its fall to the Germans . Currently , French naval doctrine calls for two aircraft carriers , but the French currently only have one , the Charles de Gaulle , due to restructuring . The navy is in the midst of some technological and procurement changes ; newer submarines are under construction and Rafale aircraft ( the naval version ) are currently replacing older aircraft . </P>
<P> Later in the 19th century , the navy recovered and became the second finest in the world after the Royal Navy . It conducted a successful blockade of Mexico in the Pastry War of 1838 and obliterated the Chinese navy at the Battle of Foochow in 1884 . It also served as an effective link between the growing parts of the French empire . The navy performed well during World War I , in which it mainly protected the naval lanes in the Mediterranean Sea . At the onset of the war , the French -- with 16 battleships , 6 cruisers , and 24 destroyers -- had the largest fleet in the Mediterranean . French defeats in the early stages of World War II , however , forced the British to destroy the French navy at Mers - el - Kebir in order to prevent its fall to the Germans . Currently , French naval doctrine calls for two aircraft carriers , but the French currently only have one , the Charles de Gaulle , due to restructuring . The navy is in the midst of some technological and procurement changes ; newer submarines are under construction and Rafale aircraft ( the naval version ) are currently replacing older aircraft . </P>
when was the last time france won a war
when was the last time france won a war
World War I
World War I