The specificity of the French culture since ages has a unique influence on the nature of the French foreign policy. To understand the particular style of French diplomacy, especially after 1945 it is crucial to distinguish main elements of its political culture. The most important one is the idea of 'grand nation', manifesting itself in a constant pursuit to acquire a global power status. Such goal is based on the assumption that France represents universal values. Therefore, the global power position could be explained by the need of 'mission civilizatrice', understood as an enrichment of other nations with the French culture. It has to be noted however, that the French conviction about their uniqueness is not unquestionable. Tragic experiences of the World War II and the 4th Republic created so called 'culture de vaincu', 'the culture of the lost'. Another important element of the French culture is the existence of national perspective, which underlines the importance of national interest in the international environment. Other elements of French culture are: the importance of law, universalism of values and a unique role of language. All these aspects allow to conclude that culture is one of the most important factors influencing French activity in the international environment.