BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956

Subject: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: jacqui.c
Date: 16 Jan 07 - 08:40 AM

I heard this on CNN news last night - very little info but they obviously considered it to be of high importance to have broadcast it at all. We get very little news from abroad.

This is from the Guardian article.

Britain and France talked about a "union" in the 1950s, even discussing the possibility of the Queen becoming the French head of state, it was reported today.
On September 10 1956, Guy Mollet, the then French prime minister, came to London to discuss the possibility of a merger between the two countries with his British counterpart, Sir Anthony Eden, according to declassified papers from the National Archives, uncovered by the BBC.
A British cabinet paper from the period reads: "When the French prime minister, Monsieur Mollet, was recently in London, he raised with the prime minister the possibility of a union between the United Kingdom and France."

At the time of the proposal, France was in economic difficulties and faced the escalating Suez crisis. Britain had been a staunch French ally during the two world wars.
When Mr Mollet's request for a union failed, he quickly responded with another plan - that France be allowed to join the British commonwealth - which was said to have been met more warmly by Sir Anthony.
A document dated September 28 1956 records a conversation between the prime minister and his cabinet secretary, Sir Norman Brook, saying:
"The PM told him [Brook] on the telephone that he thought, in the light of his talks with the French:
• That we should give immediate consideration to France joining the Commonwealth
• That Monsieur Mollet had not thought there need be difficulty over France accepting the headship of her Majesty
• That the French would welcome a common citizenship arrangement on the Irish basis."
However, this proposal was also eventually rejected and, a year later, France signed the Treaty of Rome with Germany and the other founding nations of the European common market.
"I tell you the truth - when I read that I am quite astonished," the French Nationalist MP, Jacques Myard, told the BBC today.
"I had a good opinion of Mr Mollet before. I think I am going to revise that opinion. I am just amazed at reading this, because since the days I was learning history as a student I have never heard of this. It is not in the textbooks."
No French record of the proposal appears to exist, and it is unclear whether there were any proposals for the name of the new union.
A spokesman for the French embassy said most people had been surprised by the revelation. "We are looking at our national archives," he said. "We cannot comment at this stage."
The idea of a link-up between countries was not unique. Between 1958 and 1961, Egypt and Syria merged to become the United Arab Republic in an initial move to establish a pan-Arab state.
The union broke up following a coup in Syria, but Egypt continued to call itself the United Arab Republic until 1971.


Makes you wonder - suppose this had happened.....

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 16 Jan 07 - 09:07 AM

I hadnt heard about this before, but ironically I was looking on BBC Radio's 'Listen Again' section this morning, after a thread up above the line reminded of 'The Singer & the Song' on folk, broadcast this morning (I'd missed it live)....in browsing round, I spotted a prog. re this unlikely merger, but unfortunately, there was no working link to be able to listen.

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: kendall
Date: 16 Jan 07 - 10:06 AM

We have a BBC channel, but Jacqui doesn't watch it. Maybe it's the color of the seating in the House of Commons. I call it vomit green.Dreadful.

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: jonm
Date: 16 Jan 07 - 10:07 AM

Churchill was the first to suggest France came under British control during the War when it was liberated.

When I say the first to suggest......

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 16 Jan 07 - 10:29 AM

I suggest you adjust your TV's colour [color?] settings, as they are actually a not unpleasant mid-dark green.
As for the merger between the UK and France, it would never have worked, as the English and the French are so alike it would have been a disaster.
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: Dead Horse
Date: 16 Jan 07 - 01:50 PM

And the name for this union?
Hows about Fruk :-)

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: bobad
Date: 16 Jan 07 - 02:18 PM

That news should have the French sputtering in their café-au-laits.

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: GUEST, Topsie
Date: 16 Jan 07 - 02:29 PM

After all that angst over losing Calais, we could've got it back just like that, without so much as an arrow fired.

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: jacqui.c
Date: 16 Jan 07 - 05:01 PM

Actually, for all intents and purposes Calais is British. Well, there are so many day trippers there and myriad UK shops opened up that it might as well be part of the UK.

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: KB in Iowa
Date: 17 Jan 07 - 02:27 PM

Next thing you know someone is going to want to dig a tunnel under the channel.

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 17 Jan 07 - 03:16 PM

They might have been prepared to accept the Queen..but English cuisine ??

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 17 Jan 07 - 03:40 PM

John M, I think the first British leader to suggest it was Henry the Fifth....*G*

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: Ron Davies
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 06:58 AM

Actually, didn't Henry II have a similar view--especially considering what Eleanor of Aquitaine brought to the party? Or perhaps even earlier?

Or is somebody trying to pull a French leg here?

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: GUEST,MarkS
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 07:04 AM

Gawd! Escargot and chips.

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: Scrump
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 08:58 AM

Just think, the French tax on booze and tobacco could be the same as ours. What an opportunity the French exchequer missed.

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 09:59 AM

Perhaps the Brits would learn to drink sensibly?
G

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: Alec
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 10:13 AM

At 8a.m.

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: Folk Form # 1
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 10:49 AM

Would our women have become elegant and our men stylish?

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: Scrump
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 10:50 AM

Hey, their booze is a heck of a lot cheaper.

The merger gets my vote!

Subject: RE: BS: France & UK - suggested merger 1956
From: David C. Carter
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 11:04 AM

On my last trip to London I paid 7 quid for a bottle of gunflash!

Here in france,I can get 3 bottles of gunflash for that price!