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The Zone Rouge is a consequence of World War I and is still deserted today. After the declaration of war, German troops marched through the northeastern region of France. The long battles and lack of movement led to the trenches. One of the most significant and longest battles of the war was the Battle of Verdun. The battle lasted 300 days in 1916 and cost more than 300,000 lives from both the French and German armies making it the bloodiest battle of World War I. The fighting and shelling near the town of Verdun completely eradicated the previously existing landscape and town. The area in and surrounding Verdun is widely considered a casualty of the war. The shells greatly altered the geography of the surrounding Meuse River as well. The environmental destruction was catastrophic and needed to be addressed by government leaders after the war. The ground and water was so toxic that the land was deemed inhabitable. Rather than attempt to remove unexploded shells and clean the region, government officials ordered a mandatory evacuation of all remaining resident. The government restricted all entrance and activities in this 42,000 acre territory that became known as the Zone Rouge or the Red Zone. A century after the conflict, the area is still unlivable and largely banned from the public and settlers. Nearby farmers have died as a result of lingering shells exploding while they tend their crops. To combat this issue, the French government has a special munitions agency called the Department du Deminage that clears unexploded bombs and artillery shells that are found throughout the red Zone. The department also has collection sites in towns surrounding the Red Zone so if people find shells they can leave them in collection bins, and the department will properly dispose of them. Despite efforts to clear the area, many people believe that it will be nearly impossible to clear the area completely of shells and bombs. However, certain industries are looking to profit from the Red Zone's lack of industrialization. The area has not been mined for trees and could be quite profitable. Historians, though, look at the lack of human footprint as a way to preserve the history of what happened a 100 years ago in the fields of France.

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/news/red-zone/
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/franklin-d-roosevelt-man-led-america-great-depression-wwii-x.html

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Potatoes were illegal in France for twenty four years. In 1748, the French parliament banned the cultivation and consumption of the potato based on the belief that it caused leprosy; this law remained in place until 1772. Potatoes were introduced to Europe by the Spanish who brought them back from the Incas of South America. The French, however, did not trust this new source of food. It was viewed as undesirable because it grew underground; at the time they viewed vegetables and animals as more desirable the closer they grew to the heavens. Even starving peasants avoided eating potatoes. That all changed when army officer, Antoine Parmentier, was captured by the Prussians during the Seven Years War. During his time in prison, he was forced to cultivate and eat potatoes; much to his surprise, he did not contract leprosy. After his release, he began advocating in France for potatoes to be legal again. Potatoes were more filling than grain, were easier to grow, and had lower cases of crop failure. He argued that potatoes would help eliminate widespread famines in France. Luckily, Parmentier was successful in garnering public opinion. He orchestrated several events to display the usefulness of potatoes. He hosted Benjamin Franklin for a dinner consisting primarily of potato dishes, presented King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette with bouquets of potato blossoms (she even wore the blossoms on her hat), and he planted his own field of potatoes. He hired guards to protect his crops to make them seem special; he allowed the guards to accept bribes so people could steal the potatoes and realize their worth. Greatly due to Parmentier's efforts, the potato ban was lifted in 1772 when the Paris Faculty of Medicine declared them edible. Although there was initial resistance, the potato crop proved to be vital in feeding the masses during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars.

https://www.connexionfrance.com/Mag/French-Facts/France-banned-potatoes-due-to-health-concerns
http://storytellergarden.co.uk/vegetables/when-potatoes-were-illegal/
http://www.history-magazine.com/potato.html

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Strikes and France have somewhat become synonymous in the news. The French word for strikes is "la grève." Not only do they have a name, but there is also a strike "season."Most protests occur in the spring in order to avoid cold, rainy weather and the intense heat of the summer. In France, strikes have become so common that most times they do not make headlines. However the rail and air strikes of 2018 made travel in France nearly impossible. Unions criticized the new leadership of Air France because their wage deal was not approved by employees yet was instituted anyway; unions were requesting a 5.1% wage increase. Rail Unions were also striking due to the government's proposed reform of the rail sector. They are protesting Macron's proposition to strip new rail worker recruits of jobs-for-life and early retirement in order to combat SNCF's fifty billion euro debt. Employees are practically guaranteed life long employment and many retire at the age of 52, the average retirement age in France is 62. Both the House and Senate approved the bill. Soon after, strikes began everywhere from Paris, Marseilles, Nantes, and Lyon. There were two day rolling rail strikes beginning in April that continued into July. Because of this, large number of trains were cancelled in France leaving passengers stranded. When cancellations occur, not only are the passengers not able to travel to work or other places but they also are not refunded for their ticket. The strikes affected over 4.5 million daily commuters. The strike of rail union workers, despite the fact that strikes have become so commonplace, represent something much bigger in French government. They are protesting Macron's defiance and dismissal of over 80 years of pro-union labor policies; they are fighting for the times when unions were able to be the ultimate protectors of the working population. Non-union members, however, found the strikes, the delays, and the cancellations as one big annoyance.

https://www.thelocal.fr/20180605/french-strikes-is-france-gearing-up-for-a-summer-of-transport-doom-and-gloom
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/12/world/europe/france-strikes-macron.html

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All Saints' Day is also called All Hollows' Day, Hallowmas, and Feast of All Saints. In France, it is referred to as Toussaint. All Saints' Day commemorates all saints, known or unknown, of the Christian church. It is celebrated on November 1 in Western churches and on the first Sunday after the Pentecost in Eastern churches. Roman Catholicism views the feast as a holy obligation. In France, it is a national holiday; banks, schools, and businesses are shut down for the day.  The exact origins of the commemoration are hard to trace back. It was sometimes celebrated after the Pentecost in the spring, but the November first date began during the time of Pope Gregory III (731-741). Pope Gregory III dedicated a chapel in St. Petersburg to all Saints. The tradition was kept in 800 by Alcuin, and in 1837 Pope Gregory IV ordered the observance of All Saints' Day. On November 1, people in France honor their dead relatives, instead of on November 2, since it is a public holiday. Families typically put chrysanthemum flowers on the grave and light candles to symbolize happiness in the afterlife. There are also special church services throughout the country. This day is also important for many French families, because it is a chance to strengthen family bonds by spending time together without fighting. Historically, All Saints' Day falls during the potato harvest which caused children to miss a lot of school; so they instated "potato holidays" that coincided with the harvest so families could pay their respects and work the fields. This break still exists today. Children in France are typically out of school from mid-October until November second. This year, for example, school is out from October 20, until November 4.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/All-Saints-Day
https://frenchmoments.eu/all-saints-day-in-france-la-toussaint/
https://about-france.com/school-holidays.htm

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New Brunswick is located in the eastern region of Canada and has one of the highest rates of bilingualism in the nation. The issue of language has been present for decades, but was a hot issue during their most recent election period. In the province, roughly thirty-two percent of people speak French as their first language as apposed to sixty-five percent of English speakers, according to the 2016 Census. The Language Rights Act of 1969 protects the French language in New Brunswick despite any social changes. Bilingualism has been heavily contested throughout the election due to the drastically differently different backgrounds of the two primary candidates. Brian Gallant, a bilingual incumbent, and Blaine Higgs, an anglophone leader, are both campaigning to be the next premier. Over three decades ago, Higgs was previously a member of an anti-bilingual part but has changed his views and now takes weekly French classes. Gallant is likely to use Higgs’ past affiliations in order to sway votes in the language political scene. In New Brunswick, however, bilingualism has caused much debate independent of the political sphere; there have been disagreements amongst English and French speakers over the cost-benefit analysis. The province is faced with issues such as separate school buses for francophone and anglophone students, bilingual paramedic staff, and municipal language obligations; there are also separate schools, universities, and hospitals. The division between linguistic lines and bilingual requirements have caused much debate and issue within the province. A solution needs to be reached since the already cash-strapped province cannot afford to provide two separate government entities for both English and French speakers. Arguments for and against bilingualism are still raging after the election. Higgs won 22/49 seats and Gallant won 21 seats. Since neither major party won, it must go to legislation to decide. Gallant is relentlessly vying to retain power but Higgs currently has the majority opinion.

https://globalnews.ca/news/4424372/new-brunswick-election-bilingual-language-rights/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick-election-language-bilingualism-french-1.4822491
https://globalnews.ca/news/4482802/n-b-election-results/

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The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a source, destination, and possibly even a transit country for human trafficking; the men, women, and children are sent into a life of forced labor and prostitution. The DRC is currently categorized by the U.S. Department of State as a Tier 3 trafficking nation; this means that the Congo has much higher rates of trafficking and does not meet the minimum requirements for the elimination of human trafficking. Despite a lack of significant efforts to end trafficking, the government has taken measures to end the recruitment of child soldiers and to immobilize active child soldiers. They also have extended their efforts to prevent forced labor and sexual exploitation. However, the majority of human trafficking and slavery is conducted by armed military groups. The eastern Kivu provinces are particularly dangerous as the armed groups and Congolese military fight for resources in the region. These groups often gain control of large regions and force women and children into lives as sex slaves, soldiers, or laborers in illegal mines to help export minerals. Many men and boys work as unlicensed minors and our forced, under debt bondage by rogue government groups such as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, to sell minerals way below market value in order to receive basic provisions. Many Congolese girls are forcibly prostituted around the Republic; some are sent to parts of Europe and the Middle East and sold into sex trafficking circles. Many women are often also forced into domestic servitude. The need and continuation of human trafficking in the Congo is fueled by ongoing guerrilla warfare and hostility as well was the booming mineral trade. The United States has tried to intervene and help, but most policies would only further harm the crippling economy. The U.S. has threatened to severe business and funding to the Congo if the government does not meet standards set by the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act towards eradicating human trafficking. This would just further deplete the economy and cause a great need for forced labor across all eleven providences.

http://humantraffickingcenter.org/sanctions-drc-wont-put-end-slavery/
https://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/countries/2013/215442.htm
https://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/countries/2017/271168.htm

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Charles Aznavour died Monday October 1, at the age of 94. His music had a great impact in France and internationally; he was regarded as France’s Frank Sinatra. Aznavour was born May 22, 1924, to immigrant parents, Mischa and Knar Aznavour. They immigrated to France while fleeing the Armenian Genocide following the fall of the Ottoman Empire in Turkey.  Aznavour always had a passion for entertaining and at the age of nine, he enrolled in acting school. He became a part of a group of touring child actors; at eleven, he played the young Henry IV in a play starring the famous actress Yvonne Printemps in Paris. He was in more than sixty movies throughout his life; however, his dream was always to become a singer. He wrote over one thousand songs for himself, for others, and for musicals throughout his life. He spent many unsuccessful years singing in working class cafes in Europe before becoming a hit on a tour throughout Lisbon and North Africa. The director of Paris’ Moulin Rouge heard him at a casino and immediately signed him. When he returned to Paris offers were pouring in from all over the music industry. Within six years, promoters who once ignored him were offering him the same salary as famous singers such as Edith Piaf. Aznavour was known for openly writing about marriage, homosexuality, and men talking about their emotions. But it was his leading role in film “Shoot the Piano Player” in 1960 that catapulted Aznavour to international fame. Capitalizing off of his newfound success, he performed in Carnegie Hall to a sold out crowd in 1963; ever since then, he toured the world spreading music. His songs were recorded by people such as Ray Charles and Liza Minnelli. Not only was Aznavour an artist, but also a humanitarian.  He founded the nonprofit Aznavour and Armenia in 1988 to help victims of the devastating earthquake in Soviet Armenia. When Armenia gained independence from the Soviet Union, he was named itinerant ambassador for humanitarian action in 1993 and served as the ambassador to UNESCO and was named Armenia’s ambassador to Switzerland in 2009. His songs and humanitarian efforts reached millions worldwide and awarded him the honor of being named CNN’s “Entertainer of the Century” in 1988. Despite his age, he never stopped performing; he was in Japan touring less than a month before his death.

https://www.france24.com/en/20181001-france-culture-music-legendary-french-armenian-singer-charles-aznavour-dies-94-obituary
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/01/obituaries/charles-aznavour-dead.html

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This year, Paris Fashion Week is September 24 through October 2.  Paris is known as one of the “Big Four” fashion capitals along with New York, Milan, and London. Fashion Week features hundreds of brands and designers throughout the week; this year brands range from Celine, Balmain, Chloe, Christian Dior, Chanel, Saint Laurent, Givenchy, and many more. Designers host shows throughout the week at various locations. Some of the more illustrious designers will hold shows at historical French places such as the Carrousel du Louvre and the Grand Palais.  This year an estimated 3,321 models will walk in the various shows of Paris Fashion Week, and the event is projected to generate upwards of 66 million euros. 11.5 million euros will go straight into the Paris economy making the event very profitable for the city. The modern day Fashion Week, however, is over a century in the making. The modern idea of fashion originated in the courts of Louis XIV in the 18th century. In the 1850’s, designers began showing their elegant designs to groups of high society clients versus each woman individually. Charles Fredrick Worth fully embraced these consultations and is credited with founding haute couture in Paris. This type of fashion display was occasionally used as an option, but in 1945, Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture made them a necessity. They presented thirty-five pieces of clothing as a direct reaction to Eleanor Lambert’s Fashion Press Week of 1943. French fashion had always inspired cultures and magazines, such as Vogue, from around the world, but as the 1960’s came to a close, Parisian designers were struggling to keep up with New York companies. Therefore, in 1973 the Federation Francaise de la Couture was founded and brought all of Paris’ designers together. They planned a Fashion event that will likely never be topped; it was known as the Battle of Versailles. The show pitted five American designers versus five French designers. Ever since then, Paris Fashion Week has been a must see for every designer, magazine, and fashionista world-wide.
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/france/paris/articles/a-brief-history-of-paris-fashion-week/#
https://fashionunited.uk/news/business/key-numbers-how-much-money-paris-fashion-week-makes/2016092621912
https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows

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The Algerian War of Independence was fought from 1954-62 for independence from France. The movement towards independence began during World War I and escalated after World War II after the French disregarded their previous promise of greater self rule in Algeria. In 1954 the National Liberation Front (FLN) began a guerrilla war against France in hopes of establishing an independent sovereign state recognized by the UN. As the fight for freedom broke out, everyone wanted to help, even woman. There are reports of up to 11,000 women that fought for the FLN; many believe that number is low due to many women and militant leaders not reporting female involvement in the war. There were two types of female combatants: the rural woman and the urban woman. Many urban women actively sought out FLN leaders in order to get involved. Rural women, who were often illiterate, were brought into the war due to their proximity to the fighting and sometimes by force. Women greatly contributed to the effort and worked as nurses, spies, combatants, and cooks and also supported the army through communication, transportation, and administrative jobs. Women's roles in combat are most recognized in the Battle of Algiers in 1957. Two women in particular, Djamila Boupacha and Djamila Bouhired perpetrated direct violence against the French and were able to impact the outcome of the battle. Their actions also received more attention because it motivated other females assisting in the war effort. The two women were eventually captured by the French but continued to receive international attention. In many countries, women were not seen as soldiers and the French themselves did not utilize the native women in their army. After a 15 year conflict and a bloody 7 year war, Algeria finally gained its independence from France. Despite women's efforts in the fighting, after the war women were expected to return to their subservient positions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_Algerian_War
https://www.britannica.com/event/Algerian-War
https://alache.wordpress.com/2015/09/12/62/

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France is a very secular country and has well established laws separating church and state, but the people of France have varying religious beliefs. The principle of religious freedom in France was affirmed in 1789 with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. The legal separation of church and state has been established since the 1905 Law of Separation. Under this law, the French government neither recognizes or represses any religion. There are some exceptions to the extent of separation in France; the government pays the salaries of teachers and gives subsidies to private religious schools, and all churches, temples, and synagogues built before 1905 are bow the state’s property. This is due in part to the heavy influence of the Roman Catholic Church in France. Even though attendance rates of Sunday mass has dropped to around ten percent, nearly eighty percent of the population identifies themselves as nominally Catholic. Until 1791, Catholicism was the sole religion of the state of France, and it was one of four (Catholicism, Judaism, Lutheranism, Reformism) recognized from the 1801 Napoleonic Concordat which stood in place until 1905. Today, in representation of immigrants from North Africa and Morocco, France as one of western Europe’s highest percentage of Muslim population; an estimated five million Muslims live in France, predominantly in southeastern region, Paris, and Lyon. There are also nearly seven hundred thousand Protestants mostly in the central region and eight hundred thousand followers of Judaism found typically in large eastern towns. However, there are still large numbers of people, especially the working class and the younger population, who profess no religious beliefs.

https://www.britannica.com/place/France/Religion
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/french-views-of-religious-freedom/

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Holland was born on August 12, 1954 in Rouen, France. Hollande's career in politics began as an advisor to the President Francois Mitterrand. He then became a member of the National Assembly in 1988, and in 1997 Hollande was elected as First Secretary of the Socialist Party. After resigning as secretary, he became the President of the Correze General Council in 2008. In 2011, Hollande announced his candidacy for President as a member of the Socialist Party. On May 6, 2012, he was elected President with 51.6 percent of votes over the incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy. Throughout his time as President, Hollande legalized same-sex marriage, reformed labor laws, withdrew French troops from Afghanistan, and lead the country through the 2015 and 2016 terrorists attacks. Despite these accomplishments, with high unemployment percents and the spike in domestic terrorism during his tenure, he faced heavy downturn in approval and is seen as one of the most unpopular Presidents in French history.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francois-Hollande
https://www.cnn.com/2012/12/21/world/europe/francois-hollande---fast-facts/index.html

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Haiti was originally a French colony known as St. Domingue. The colony’s economy was based off of slave labor in the sugar and coffee markets; it had proved itself to be France’s most profitable colony in the Americas. The demographics of St. Domingue were very divided between rich colonists, the mixed-race population, and the exploited slave population. The French revolution had a great impact on the island, and afterwards the white leaders divided into Royalists and Revolutionary groups. This divide allowed the slaves of St. Domingo to organize and execute a rebellion which began on August 22, 1791. A former slave, Toussaint Louverture, lead the slaves in revolt and proved to be an effective leader. Louverture attempted to free the slave population of St. Domingue.  Napoleon I did not approve of the slave’s liberation and sent his cousin, General Charles Leclerc, in 1801 to suppress the rebellion. Louverture and his slave forces struggled against France forces for months before signing an armistice in May of 1802. The French retracted their part of the treaty and imprisoned and executed him in France in 1803. Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Henry Christopher took control of the slave army and defeated a large part of the French forces. In November 1803 the French surrendered the rest of their expedition and withdrew from St. Domingue. On January 1, 1804, the island was declared independent; they renamed themselves Haiti, derived from Arawak. The French did not, however, acknowledge Haiti’s independence until 1825. This was the first successful slave revolt.

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1784-1800/haitian-rev

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Haitian-Revolution

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/haitian-independence-proclaimed

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The Galettes des Rois, or the French King's Cake, traces its roots back to the 14th century Roman Empire and are sold throughout the month of January. The cake is typically served on the sixth of January to celebrate the Christian holiday Epiphany. The holiday celebrates the Three Wise Men's journey to visit baby Jesus. The pastry itself is typically a puff pastry filled with cream or chocolate.The galette is traditionally cut into enough slices for everyone at the table plus an extra one for the first poor person they see walking by. The youngest child at the table typically gets the first slice and then climbs under the table to decide who gets the next slice. The youngest holds the decision because they are considered the most innocent and fair in decision making. Typically the youngest gets the first person in order to find the charm inside the pastries. In the beginning, a bean was placed in the center, but as the tradition continued porcelain figures and little trinkets are placed in the galette. When purchasing a King Pastry in France, a gold crown is often atop the pastry.

https://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/french-culture/french-king-pie-vocabulary-traditions-recipe
https://frenchfoodintheus.org/1059