Good day r/AskHistorians! I come from an country where, as far as I know, the French language is not really necessary for life. However, over time, I've come to realize the power of the French language in almost all fields, especially the scientific and political ones. Even the UN uses French (is it necessary?). Is this due to France's past colonial history? Is it because of the French Revolution? Essentially, what I'm asking is what makes French so special from a historical standpoint. I hope you'll consider answering this question as spectacularly as you always do, thanks!
Huge parts of Europe were french (during medieval times) and it stayed a huge established and powerful country during the time of HRE and things such as the 30 year war, and after the revolution and the rise of napoleon, France obviously regained a lot of its former territory and proved itself to the rest of Europe. I would argue that Frances presence throughout the ages and its military strength has a lot of to do with the spreading of the language and it's prestige.