I’ll do my best to give you a short introduction.
Ever heard of the French revolution and the beheading of rich people? Let's put it this way, there are no more beheadings but when the government does something that the majority of the population doesn't like, things start to burn and shit breaks. "Liberté" is a big part if not the biggest part of French culture.
The same goes for their military. France was a colonial power for many centuries. And doesn't put up with anything if someone tries to act stupid. Like recently when France sent a nuclear submarine to Canada when Trump said he wanted to annex Canada. They also have the Foreign Legion which anyone can join and is considered one of the toughest armies in the world.
I've only scratched the surface, but France is basically what you get if fuck around and find out was a country.
He looks like a bitter old fuck. Same expression my grandma always had.