Funny thing, barely 20 years ago, it was France that was exporting a lot compared to Germany. The idea is that it isn't necessarly a fixed geopolitical issue, mostly a question of politics.Agreed. France has less economic power than Germany, to be sure, but also has soft and hard power advantages that Germany lacks. France is on par with the United Kingdom, I suppose, though France's position in the EU gives it more allies, but France is well ahead of Italy never mind Spain or Poland.
If we're talking about France as a great power on the scale of Germany, you would need somehow to create a French economy that would be as relatively strong--at least as much of an export powerhouse--as Germany. More, since even now Germany has a population 25% greater than that of France, unless you make France perhaps implausibly welathy relative to Germany you are going to need to narrow the demographic gap somehow.
More, since even now Germany has a population 25% greater than that of France, unless you make France perhaps implausibly welathy relative to Germany you are going to need to narrow the demographic gap somehow.
Huh, it's a challenge?
It's a great power according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_power#Great_powers_by_date which makes sense given that it has its spaceport, its complete nuclear weapon industry (unlike UK, for example) and has a network of bases and possessions kinda unmatched outside the US (second exclusive economic area in the world). By "strong", you seem to imply military power, but I don't really see a country vastly more powerful in Europe, except for Russia - if you count it in Europe.
Challange: Make France the strongest nation in europe with a pod in 1917.
This might be somewhat distasteful, but what if the Soviets tried instigating a eugenics/population control policy in East Germany as a perceived solution to the "German Problem". Trying to make the population less aggressive by trying to depress testosterone production with chemicals in the water or something? That would have an impact, at least in the window of a few generations, though itd correct over time and you'd get a baby boom economic boost in the future...
Good thing that IRL, it wasn't and that this is a very bad urban legend propagated by bad History courses. The Maginot Line's goal was to force the reduction of the frontline's size to a smaller area where the French could funnel the German military and ideally take the fight to the Low Countries. As for being geopolitically independent, it managed it much better IRL than either UK or Germany after the war.A defeated Germany still had a larger military potential than a victorious France, there's a reason the French elite's strategy in Europe was hiding behind the Maginot line.