Hexagonal point of the “European peninsula”, France played a historical part which can appear disproportionate today compared to its territorial extent and with its demographic importance. Actually, France, which is always the widest State of Europe after Russia and the Ukraine, was to the XIX ^E century the country more populated continent, Russia excluded.

Especially, the French thought, resulting from the Lights and the Revolution, made it tower of planet, at the point to be promoted with the row of model. The secular influence of France comes from what she thought very early in terms of unit and mission. During nearly thousand years, the kings were tough rassembleurs of people and provinces, and engaged the process of centralization which the Revolution and the Empire completed in the borders felt like “natural”.

In addition, “oldest daughter of the Church” then “ground of the human rights”, France, of the crusades to the levy in masse of 1792 and the “war of the right”, believed herself invested responsibility of impose a vision of the world. Even if, of Christendom to freedom, reality always does not coincide with this beautiful sentimental picture, it remains that with the edge of It ^E thousand-year-old, and in a politically and culturally burst universe, one of the strongest assets of France remain to be a conscience.