| Subject: Franco-British relations during de Gaulle |
Author:
Dan
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Date Posted: 06:42:00 04/28/04 Wed
To what extent as Charles de Gaulle altered The French opinion of Britain since his first ministry?
Charles de Gaulle openly rejected Americanism. A view which was quickly adopted by his French minions. During his premiership, de Gaulle greatly increased French patriotism.
ESSAY PLAN:
1) De Gaulle during his reign: his rejection of Britain into the Europe of the six, concord, his regard of Americanism + the link between Britain and America.
2) How the people of France under de Gaulle, les impressionables, are still around and still voting today. How did they affect the La Penn scare?
3) Howard Wilson, and the relationship between him and De Gaulle.
4) Other factors that changed French opinion of the British, including:
i) Our opinions towards the French as surrender monkeys.
ii) How WW2 affected Anglo-foreign relations.
iii) The Channel Tunnel – the modern co-operation of governments V.S. the underlying opinions of the general public.
(The revolutions – worth mentioning?)
Defining points in the Franco-British revolutions. French revolution paved the way for the British revolution – pamphleteering, etc. French revolution was an uprising of the Bourgeoisie in demonstrations, etc. British was less aggressive, political pressure groups but pressure on the reforming government, paving the way and setting the political climate for parliamentary reform.
Battle of Waterloo?
Newport Rising?
The Question is: are French opinions of British justified considering events which have passed regardless of the input of De Gaulle?
Additional factors to Franco-British relations:
· Franco-British divide over British Beef during BSE and, consequently, imported French goods arriving in England – i.e. Golden Delicious, le Crunch etc.
· L’OTAN – L’Organisation du traité d’Atlantique du Nord. With America, the only alliance between the states and Europe.
· French organisation bent on maintaining, even through the measures of deleting English words and replacing them with either old or new French ones, underlines the French hostility towards the dominance of the English language, as well as their own ferocious patriotism.
· Iraq – different political stances
· Falklands?
· E.U. constitution? Referendum, etc,etc. Differences in opinions between Britain and other Euro powers.
· French constitutions of 1958 and 69?
Old French Nationalism under de Gaulle relates to their modern Nationalism and rejection of the English language.
“The harm he did to the West outlives him.” – Brian Crozier
“Though de Gaulle aimed at a world role for Frnsce, he could not be ignorant of the fact that France was actually a medium-sized power whose strength compared very poorly with that of the super powers.” Serge Berstein
E.E.C. or Common Market = Name of Europe ting! European Economic Community.
Brief Outline of What de Gaulle did:
Rejection of the membership of Britain into the Europe of the Six – twice.
Motives: Fear of Americanisation, wanted to escape the feeling of dependency on the British and Americans since WW2.
Refusal to reduce the value of the Franc upon publicising the loss in value of the Livre Sterling, which caused a minor economic crisis for Britain.
Motives: De Gaulle saw France as the economic centre for Europe – which it was not. He saw the fall in value of the pound as a fault in the British economy. All of the other members agreed to decrease their own currency values, except France.
Treaty of Rome
Empty Chair Crisis
Soames Affair
The Soames Affair:
Wilson chooses Christopher Soames to attend a meeting with de Gaulle concerning the W.E.U. Soames was chosen, despite his Conservative views, because of his knowledge of Europe and his grasp of the French language and culture. The meetings did not progress too well because of de Gaulle’s lack of enthusiasm and desire to cooperate in the meetings.
The meetings backfired somewhat as de Gaulle used the meetings as a way to highlight aspects of his foreign policy; publicising his desire to keep Britain out of the Europe of the Six.
"Relations between French and British governments were in a grievous state" (P.M.H. BELL)
"Britain's position within the EEC was seen very largely in terms of Franco-British relations" (BELL)
The Soames Affair was an embarrassing British leak of information regarding attitudes towards de Gaulle, as well as their own economic situation – the decrease in the value of the Livre Sterling.
By 1969 President Charles de Gaulle of France had been fighting European integration for a decade. In 1962 the Commission president Walter Hallstein had foiled the French Fouchet Plan for a new model Europe based on co-operation between nation states. De Gaulle vetoed the UK's application to join the Community in 1963 and again in 1967, having in the meantime embarked on a boycott of European institutions and threatened to pull France out of the Community. It was therefore not entirely surprising that de Gaulle now privately discussed with Sir Christopher Soames, the British ambassador, the possibility of France allying with the UK to create a free trade area, incorporating the 'Six' (the members of the Community) as well as the 'Seven' (the EFTA countries). This grouping would be directed by Britain, France, Germany and Italy. The idea (in the rather unlikely event that it could have succeeded) was all that the UK should have hoped for, but, anxious not to offend its prospective partners, Prime Minister Harold Wilson leaked de Gaulle's proposals to Germany and other countries, provoking loud cries of betrayal by the French. Within months de Gaulle had resigned, and the UK was on its way into the Common Market.
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