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If we want to understand France today, we must understand its history. If you want to understand the French people's concerns about the republic, you have to go back to the French Revolution; if you want to understand France's advanced education system, you have to visit Napoleon; if you want to appreciate the power of Racine's drama, you have to grasp the tensions and contradictions in the life of Louis XIV; if you want to understand the development of elegant French, you have to visit the Gaul region under the rule of the Roman Empire. France's gripping history oscillates between revolution and monarchy, art and secularity, not because of its moody character but because of its geographical location surrounded by the European continent. Therefore, France's identity is determined by a complex series of relationships, from the Roman Empire to the Napoleonic Wars to Britain and the United States after World War II. Various conflicting relationships have shaped France today.