The current French government was established in 1958 and is known as the Fifth Republic (of France). The wars it has been involved in sense than have been coalition military intervention in the Middle East and Africa, usually involving NATO or the UN.

What do you mean? France has slowly evolved over time to its present state. Would you call the Fourth Republic 'Modern France'? What about the Second? First? What about the Empires? Vichy France? The July Monarchy? The Ancien Regime? Gaul?

Definitively stating when "France" became France is impossible. The state's strict legal existance is younger than Ellen, having been formed in 1958.

If you just look at post-Revolution France (probably the best cutoff you can have, though still incredibly arbitrary), it has done very well militarily, though three noteable losses have overshadowed everything else: The Franco-Prussian War and the two World Wars. All three, you might notice, are loses to Germany.