When the French tried to marry the UK......

Bizarre, but apparently true. It's amazing what politicians will come up with!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6261885.stm

They must have been really desperate to even consider this. It's ironic that 50 years later its the UK who is in danger of a forced marriage with the EU.

 

Personnally I think it was a big wasted opportunity. They were even willing to accept the soverignity of the Queen! This shows how serious they were about it given their revolutionary history.

 

Agree that some form of closer relationship may have led to some form of British led European Union, but realistically at the time, if put to the country I think there would have been serious militant rejection from the Gaullists and the French Communists, not least the question of reintroduction of any form of monarchy.

No.9

 

You could add to that the rejection by the British people!

It would have been a very good idea at the time, not only for the French, but also the British. Perhaps we might not have been so completely pathetic in the face of American bullying.

The septics accused us of colonial tactics in Suez, threatened us with all manner of sanctions.

And what exactly are we doing in Iraq and Aghanistan? Who exactly are we following?

The lessons of history should be learned, as should the insults and wrongs.

 

It wasn't a new idea, even in the 1950s: Winston Churchill offered Union to the French during the Battle of France during 1940 - the idea being that, even if the territory of France was occupied, the sovereign government (based in UK) would still remain and have legal ownership of all France's other territories and armed forces - now all part of a combined British/French Empire.

 

Yeah, bum decision they made then wasn't it.

The price of 'non' was us sinking their fleet in harbour - yaaaaay!

 

Today program this morning had a UK-resident Frenchman and a Brit living in France commenting on this story. Both declared that it was old news, certainly no longer "secret". One wonders if this is just an attempt by government spin doctors to divert attention away from the applaing handling of the celebrations (or not) of the Union's 300th birthday this year.

 

Can I please remind all British Arrsers that there was no such thing as the Second World War in France. There was the Campaign of 1940 and the Liberation. Everything else was just an anglo-saxon episode...if you don not believe me ask a French history teacher. Say "Dites-moi monsieur le professeur, qu'est-ce que c'est le difference entre un collaborateur, vintage 1940-1943 et un resistant, vintage 1944 (post-Juin)?" It will be a great exercise in international communication.

 

Hahahahaha!!!

What about: "Dites-moi le professeur de Monsieur, est une nation de fromage mangeant des singes de reddition un compagnon approprié de lit pour une nation de guerrier, ou la nation de guerrier serait forcée pour défendre une telle nation de singe de façon régulière, rendant de ce fait une telle association sans valeur ?"

 

.."or warrior's nation would be forced to defend such a nation of monkeys in a regular way"

Quality!

There is now a significant amount of coffee on my computer screen

 

Except that most Frenchmen will pedantically pounce on any remotely mis-pronounced vowel, and feign complete misunderstanding. This can only be deliberate, as most British people can comprehend a vast array of tortured vowels in English, ranging from Geordie to Estuary, and from Glasgow to "BBC received".

I'm sure they are taught at school deliberately to misunderstand any attempts at Franglais, probably ever since their request to take the Queen as their Head of State was denied.

 

Sorry, my cock-up. Bl00dy online translators (I do not speak the language of the enemy).

Try this: Une nation de fromage mangeant des singes de reddition est-elle un associé approprié de lit pour une nation de guerrier ? La nation de guerrier serait-elle forcée pour défendre les singes régulièrement ?

 

Telegraph Report here: France offered to 'merge' with UK in 1950s

Most telling line in this report: "No record of the proposals is thought to exist in French archives."

Also note that A Marriage Cordial will be broadcast on Radio 4 at 8pm tonight, in case you're interested.

Running over here as well: When Britain & France nearly "married"...

MODs might want to merge the two?