The Sun King , Napoleon , De Gaulle The history of grudges between Britain and France has made scholars bluntly say: Angsa cannot be trusted
On September 15, 2021, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia issued a joint statement to so-called, in terms of national defense and security In order to achieve a closer cooperative relationship, the establishment of the AUKUS Alliance was announced.
On November 22, shortly after the establishment of the AUKUS alliance, Australia announced that it had canceled its large conventional submarine military purchase order with France worth up to 90 billion Australian dollars, and instead sought to purchase 8 nuclear-powered ships capable of long-range power from the United Kingdom and the United States. aircraft carrier.
(AUKUS Alliance)
News came to the world in an uproar, because this nuclear submarine cooperation not only harmed international nuclear non-proliferation efforts, but also lurked the risk of a nuclear arms race. It also caused great concern to neighboring countries and seriously damaged Australia's own international image. .
used the method of creating imaginary enemies to connect a small circle of interests. The Angsa people stabbed the French in the back with a treacherous military transaction. After the
world was in an uproar, the French deeply reflected, because this was tantamount to stabbing in the back.
French high-level officials protested one after another, and even the French people's dislike of the Anglo-Saxon world reached its peak.
The British-French fishery dispute broke out soon afterwards.
(last year’s dispute)
It is said that one hair can affect the whole body, and the French media has also begun to make noises and reports continuously.
Among the constant reports, the most memorable thing is.
Many French media compared the signing of the "AUKUS" agreement to a greater shame than the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
The Battle of Trafalgar was a decisive naval battle between the British and the combined fleets of France and Spain during the Napoleonic Wars .
At that time, the French army was overwhelming, but the navy, with all its elites, and its ally Spain, were defeated by the British Royal Navy .
After the elite navy was exhausted, Napoleon had to give up his plan to attack the British mainland and instead began a continental blockade strategy.
(Battle of Trafalgar)
This is not the first dispute between Britain and France.
Looking back on history, many people in France have a natural "Anglophobia" mentality, which has been studied by countless scholars!
For example: In 2008, a professor at the University of Orleans wrote a book called "Why the French Don't Like the British", which specifically analyzed the French's anti-Ancestor complex. The book
analyzes the special relationship between Britain and France from multiple perspectives.
Historically, the starting point of the conflict between Britain and France began when William, the Duke of Normandy in France, conquered Britain in 1066.
Because of the Norman Conquest, a French Duke became a past thing for Britain, which caused the territories of Britain and France to overlap and fold, making the two countries incompatible with each other for hundreds of years.
The struggle for power and territory, as well as the struggle for the Flanders wool trade, triggered the Hundred Years' War , and also triggered the subsequent struggle between Britain and France for hegemony. The war and hegemony of
lasted from the Middle Ages to the outbreak of and . It can be called the strongest mortal enemy in history.
After the Hundred Years' War, France completely won on the European continent, and Britain lost its stronghold in Europe.
(Era of the Hundred Years' War)
Since then, the two countries have embarked on different paths.
is committed to the struggle for European hegemony and constantly strengthens its European dominance.
is dedicated to the balance of and offshore , constantly weakening France's European dominance. One of
is strengthened and the other is weakened.
One focuses on the mainland, taking care of the ocean (France)
The other focuses on the ocean, and takes care of the mainland (the United Kingdom)
For these European twins, it has become the norm to dislike each other.
In addition to being disliked at the strategic level, the two countries also have many differences in their systems, cultures, and religions.
Institutionally, the French believe that they are the leader of freedom, democracy and independence, and that the Great Revolution gave birth to a new era.
In terms of culture, the French believe that French culture is the most brilliant civilization in Europe, and Paris is the capital of art .
In terms of religion, France is Catholic and Britain is Protestant.
These countless differences make Britain and France laugh at each other!
The French say that Britain and its son the United States are barbaric capitalist countries and barbaric colonialist countries.
(barbaric capitalist countries)
This can also be explained by colonial empirical evidence.
Look at the world after the expansion of the Angsa people. Almost all aboriginal people have become protected animals. This is not the case in the United States ( Indians ), New Zealand ( Maori ), and Australia (Gully people).
Looking back at the French colonies, although they were influenced by French culture, the people were still the same people. There was no change of bird from the cage, and there was no protected area. After this comparison, it is clear who is civilized and who is barbaric!
But in that era that emphasized the law of the forest, the civilized France had been fighting for hundreds of years and still failed to defeat the barbaric Ansa people.
From the era of the Sun King to the era of Charles de Gaulle, France has had no choice but to become what it is now after many ups and downs.
Among them, there are highlights from the era of the Sun King Louis XIV .
When the Sun King was in office, France used the earliest sound centralized system in Europe to lead France on the road to the top. After Heritage War , Franco-Dutch War and Grand Alliance War , it was exhausting. After all the hard work, France has barely maintained its position as the European hegemon. Why does
say reluctantly? It’s because of the UK!
As a century-old enemy, Britain chose to unite with the Habsburg dynasty and the Netherlands to fight against France in the Grand Alliance War, which made the French miserable. It also allowed France to overdraw its national power during the Louis XIV era and let the Sun King Late holidays are not guaranteed.
(Sun King Louis XIV)
After the Sun King, it was the era of the Great Revolution and the era of Napoleon.
Similarly, Britain, facing the emperor Napoleon who spanned the continent, continued to instigate an anti-French alliance, which gave Napoleon's life, which finally ended in the exile, a touch of tragedy.
Compared with the former Sun King and the glorious Napoleon the Great , Marshal de Gaulle's feelings towards the British and Americans are much more complicated.
Behind this entanglement is the ebb and flow of the three major European families, France's helplessness to make separate bets, and de Gaulle's lonely struggle.
(De Gaulle)
And this is today's theme, De Gaulle's past, and France's call for a new De Gaulle.
Talking about the story of De Gaulle cannot be separated from the war years of World War II .
In May 1940, after encountering a lightning raid by the German army, Manstein's strategy and Guderian's tactics caused the British and French forces to retreat thousands of miles, panicking like a lost dog.
Germany's military front divided France, and it also gave rise to two voices within France related to the future and destiny of the country.
The first type: It is determined that the war is over, Germany is too strong, and Britain's defeat is also a countdown. France should make peace with Hitler as soon as possible while it can still make peace.
Then they elected the World War I hero Pétain as their spokesperson, using the method of compromise to demand as dignified a surrender as possible.
(Pétain)
The second type: It is determined that the war is not over, but has just begun, because Germany's enemies are not only France and Britain. Hitler's ambition will make him a public enemy of the world. This is France's opportunity to turn defeat into victory.
As long as they persist and fight, France will have hope. This group of people chose to follow Pétain's disciple, Charles de Gaulle, who was appointed to become the deputy minister of defense at the critical moment.
(De Gaulle)
Then there are two people and the separation of the two lines. After the
split, De Gaulle jumped on a plane to London, and Pétain chose to face Hitler directly.
two people also delivered important speeches respectively.
On June 17, 1940, Pétain said sadly to the French:
French people, the President of the Republic asks you, today I envision the direction of the French government, and I dedicate myself to France to alleviate its pain. It is with a heavy heart that I declare that we must stop fighting.
Last night, I consulted our opponent and asked him if he was prepared to join me, as warrior to warrior, after a battle, to find an honorable way to end the confrontation.
This is a declaration of summation!
The next day after saying these words, de Gaulle also gave a speech:
The victory or defeat of this war does not depend on the situation on the French battlefield. This war was a world war, and no matter what happened, the flame of French resistance should never be extinguished and will never be extinguished.
The different choices made by this pair of masters and apprentices determined the different fates of France.
One is timid and the other is brave.
(De Gaulle’s letter to the French people)
But today, it seems that there is also a hedging of the bets, including the cause and effect of sharing risks.
Because no matter which camp wins in the end, France has the possibility of taking advantage.
But the paths taken by these two people are actually not easy.
Let’s look at Pétain first.
He was forced by Hitler to sign an unprecedented humiliating alliance. Vichy France existed, but prosperous Paris and the strategically important northern France became German occupied areas, even those who looked down upon them. Italy can occupy an area in southeastern France.
What is even more embarrassing for the proud French is that the army has been reduced to 100,000, and the French have to pay for the garrison expenses of Germany and Italy. In other words, the French spend money to serve the invaders, and they also have to be grateful.
The humiliation France suffered was even worse and more harsh than what France inflicted on Germany after the First World War.
This may be the time when injustice is repaid.
(De Gaulle in London)
But even so, Hitler was still uneasy about France! The source of
's uneasiness is the vast colonies owned by France and the powerful fleet that fled to northwest Africa.
While Hitler was uneasy, Churchill across the strait was also uneasy.
So, the British Ansar's back-stabbing trend began . After the peace between France and Germany, when the French Navy was still showing its allegiance to whom, he hurriedly let the Royal Navy raid the Algerian Mir where the French navy was stationed. In the Bay of Skebir, French warships including three battleships were sunk, causing more than 1,600 French casualties.
Behind the eagerness of the UK is a deep distrust. This distrust may be justifiable, because de Gaulle in the UK does not look like he can achieve anything?
At that time, de Gaulle raised his arms and shouted in London, although he won the support and support of many colonies. But how can France, which has lost its local industry, have a strong army?
Living in the United Kingdom, he is considered by many French people to be a puppet of the United Kingdom, a vassal of the United Kingdom, and a dispensable and marginalized person.
(Free France propagated by Nazi Germany)
What is the difference between a hero and a coward? The answer is not to give in to difficulties.
De Gaulle in trouble explained the pride of France. In order to make the British face France, on July 21, 1940, De Gaulle asked the air force pilots of the Free France to follow the British to fight and bomb the Ruhr area of Germany.
This approach expresses France’s independence in the struggle.
We, Free France, are not puppets to be manipulated at will.
With this flame of resistance, the raging fire will always come!
Germans keep saying that Free France is a government in exile, a terrorist organization, and a duckweed that has lost its foundation. But de Gaulle did not underestimate himself, but always used his only strength to build an army.
is according to his words: When people see this army, they will believe that the sword blades are hardened. Oh my god, the sword blade is so short.
The blade of the sword is very hard because it is full of fighting spirit, but the blade is short because it has insufficient combat power and needs to accumulate strength.
This savings lasted for more than a year. In the midsummer of 1942, the Free French Army used its victory in North Africa to rectify the name of the French army.
(Free France)
In that year's North African battlefield , Rommel stormed the Jazala defense line. The Free French 1st Light Brigade stationed at the southern end of the defense line was led by brigade commander Marie-Pierre Koenig Next, we held on to Bir Hakeim.
In this hard-fought battle, the Free French Army showed great bravery, and the tactical expert Rommel was deeply impressed. He said more than once that this persistent defender was tenacious and professional, and its defense lines were well laid out. It was a force capable of fighting. Powerful team.
This battle also left de Gaulle fresh in his memory. In the first volume of his " War Memoirs ", he wrote:
At this time, the public in many countries began to pay attention to this, and Bill Hakim's French army It has become more and more the center of everyone's discussion and newspaper news. Public opinion is ready to judge. The question is whether our warriors can still hold on with honor.
Many times, victory or defeat lies in that breath! The momentum of
allowed the French to hold on for more than ten days, and finally won the victory, which also caused news about Free France to appear in countless countries.
(Koenig)
London, New York, Montreal , Cairo , Rio de Janeiro and even Buenos Aires .
The heroic defense of the French army!
’s brilliant record!
The Germans were defeated on the Bir Hakim Front! The passionate slogan
became the headlines of newspapers one after another. A victory made de Gaulle feel proud and made him cry with joy after his troops successfully broke through. What
once ignored has attracted attention. The former puppet has achieved military exploits. A French tough guy finally led his men, with the cooperation of countless African brothers, on the road to revitalizing France.
(Great Powers Zongheng)
Then, there is Zongheng, who is caught between the great powers.
Compared with his contribution to the war, de Gaulle's achievements in the diplomatic field are even more impressive.
This admiration also has a landmark event: the top four became the top five.
A key figure who dominated the post-war landscape, U.S. President Roosevelt was particularly optimistic about the government of the Republic of China. In his view, the center of world civilization would enter the Pacific era after experiencing the Mediterranean era and the Atlantic era. The vision of
is indeed far-reaching today.
Based on this, Roosevelt believed that China and the United States, facing each other across the Pacific Ocean, were the key to the future world pattern.
Therefore, a China with a special relationship with the United States will be the best helper for the United States to fight against the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union. Therefore, when Roosevelt was in office, he tried his best to support the Republic of China government, allowing the Republic of China government and Chiang Kai-shek to gain the status of the Big Four and become the Big Four. the four great powers.
The United States' calculations made the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union particularly dissatisfied. Is it for no other reason than themselves?
This allowed de Gaulle to see an opportunity to deal with the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union.
With the help of Churchill, Free France's international influence increased. With the help of Churchill, Stalin and De Gaulle also became good friends and began to cooperate.
(De Gaulle and Churchill)
Britain's purpose is to win over France and face the powerful United States together.
The purpose of the Soviet Union was to win over France and turn the four-power structure conceived by the United States into a five-power structure.
All this made Roosevelt very dissatisfied. When the Allied forces landed in northwest Africa and prepared for a large-scale counterattack, Roosevelt tried to create divisions and cultivate puppets to replace De Gaulle with a new person.
But the united Free France did not let Roosevelt get his wish. Similarly, de Gaulle also continued to use his own efforts to stimulate Roosevelt.
Every time de Gaulle and Roosevelt met, Roosevelt would emphasize : Free France depends on our economic assistance, otherwise you will cease to exist!
The implication of these words is that you must know how to be grateful.
Every time he hears this, de Gaulle will say: The French ancestors, in order to help the United States become independent , always gave selflessly without thinking of any reward?
These words make Roosevelt speechless every time, because the founding father of the United States is Louis XVI!
There is no France. Whether your little America exists or not is a problem. It is ungrateful to pretend to be rich here.
was well versed in the mentality of great powers, played with the world structure, and bluntly criticized the President of the United States. De Gaulle used brave and strategic methods to make Britain and the Soviet Union his helpers, forcing the United States to recognize France's status as a great power, and also made countless people in the world The country realizes that free France is French orthodoxy.
(Tough Guy de Gaulle)
All this established de Gaulle's historical status.
went from a resister who fled Paris to a lone warrior and a French hero. At the moment he landed in Paris, de Gaulle's arrogance was once again demonstrated.
Eisenhower, who thought he was a liberator, used joking words to de Gaulle and said that he had returned the great Paris to the great general in its entirety.
After hearing this, De Gaulle was not grateful and said without hesitation: Paris was liberated by Germany after the French people's uprising. What does it have to do with you? The US military has never controlled Paris and has never contributed any force. How can there be any argument for return?
This is actually the case. The Allies had no intention of attacking Paris and were preparing to take a detour. It was the people of Paris who launched an uprising and made the German army retreat. What does it have to do with the United States?
But de Gaulle still said this, which really left no face to the Americans.
From this point, we can understand what kind of person de Gaulle was. He knew the bottom line, knew how to advance and retreat, knew how to tolerate, and would also fight back on issues of principle.
(strongman)
This is the quality that countless politicians in Europe lack most today. After
entered Paris, the new French government immediately sentenced Pétain to death. De Gaulle saw it and approved the sentence, but then pardoned his mentor!
After being pardoned, Pétain died on July 22, 1951, on the island of Lilledieu, where he was imprisoned.
How did France, which hedged its bets, remain invincible in World War II? The answer lies in this forgiveness!
The balance of hardness and softness, the way of survival, adhering to principles, advancing and retreating appropriately, de Gaulle knew this well! When
subsequently governed France, de Gaulle did the same. Facing his former allies Britain and the United States, he had always emphasized the independence of France and was wary of Britain and the United States.
He once said: The Anglo-Saxons never really regarded us French as allies.
He once said: The isolated characteristics of this island country make its political and economic structure extremely different from that of continental European countries.
The first sentence is a distrust of Britain and the United States, and the latter sentence is a rejection of Britain's joining the European Community , because this British troublemaker has never been in vain.
(Anti-American fighter)
The UK is worthy of its name. It has joined EU . It also left Europe not long ago and returned to the "special relationship" with Britain and the United States. It became a loyal brother of the United States and brought out AUKUS. At this moment, de Gaulle What if we meet again? The answer must be European strategic autonomy.
But unfortunately, French President Macron has this idea, but it is even more difficult to put it into practice.
is according to Medvedev : Now, who in Europe can refute the president of the United States without shaking his hands?
Yes, after losing De Gaulle, there is no such person in France. After losing Merkel, there is no such person in Germany. Who else in Europe can hold up this world?
Do you expect Ursula von der Leyen whose whole family is in the United States?
This seems to be a false proposition.
