On our trip to Paris this summer, I had the pleasure of experiencing French culture and learning about French history. As a historian, I have this craving to soak up as much of the local knowledge as possible. So as the family put together their list of things they wanted to see in Paris, I added my own, the Tomb of Napoleon and the Museum of Military History.

Napoleon’s tomb is incredible, a huge mausoleum with classical styling. While I was stunned by the size of the tribute to Napoleon, it was a double take that occurred while in the Museum of Military History that really stood out to me.   As Lydia and I wound our way through the medieval times displays, we finally found the section dedicated to World War Two. At one display, we read about the efforts of the British to remove their troops at Dunkirk from…