France Wanted To Join The U.K

hype · January 16th, 2007, 06:25 PM

sorry if this is in the wrong section, but it made me laugh because i know how much france hate us images/smilies/biggrin.gif

Quote:

IT’S the news that will have the French spluttering into their breakfast coffee.

Newly-discovered documents reveal our haughty cross-Channel neighbours were desperate to MERGE with Britain in the aftermath of the Second World War.

In a devastating blow to Gallic pride, the papers show that in 1956 French PM Guy Mollet humbly asked British leader Sir Anthony Eden if the two countries could join together. When Sir Anthony said “Non”, Mollet begged for France to be allowed into the Commonwealth — with the QUEEN as its head of state.

Thankfully Sir Anthony again declined — but a year later the sulking French joined forces with Germany instead and soon after the Common Market was born.

The astonishing revelations were uncovered in once-secret papers held in the National Archives. At the time of the proposal, France was in economic meltdown and faced the escalating Suez crisis.

The documents show that on September 10, 1956, Mollet travelled to London to discuss the unlikely merger between the two nations.

A British Cabinet paper from the period reads: “When the French PM, Monsieur Mollet, was recently in London he raised with the Prime Minister the possibility of a union between the United Kingdom and France.”

It adds that when his request for a union failed, the French premier pleaded for his country to be let into the British Commonwealth.

Another document dated September 28 notes: “Mollet had not thought there need be difficulty over France accepting the headship of Her Majesty.”

The document shows the proposal was given serious consideration by the Government before it was rejected. Perhaps less surprisingly, no record of it exists in French archives.

The discovery was made by a BBC team making a documentary for Radio 4.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007020458,00.html

Blind_Io · January 16th, 2007, 07:20 PM

Oh boy, this opens up a whole new avenue for French jokes in the UK.

Momentum57 · January 16th, 2007, 07:42 PM

I thought the French love queens? Guess they just don't love the queen.

epp_b · January 16th, 2007, 07:45 PM

Momentum, zing!! images/smilies/lol.gif

Cobol74 · January 16th, 2007, 10:18 PM

Then we asked to join the Common Market. ... The French said non, boot and foot!

Hidden_Hunter · January 18th, 2007, 02:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Momentum57

I thought the French love queens? Guess they just don't love the queen.

yeah they were you huge fans of mary antoinette...

REPUBLIQUE FRANCAIS.....

Viper007Bond · January 18th, 2007, 03:07 AM

Heard about this a few days ago. Pretty funny.

targa_997 · January 22nd, 2007, 08:58 AM

It's far from being a secret, we learn this in Geography before 10 years old.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cobol74

Then we asked to join the Common Market. ... The French said non, boot and foot!

I think it was Charles de Gaulle who intensively refused you guys to come.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hidden_Hunter

yeah they were you huge fans of mary antoinette...

REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE....

République is a "she".

Hidden_Hunter · January 22nd, 2007, 12:28 PM

pleh I scored really crappy for french when I did it at school :p

Goose+ · January 22nd, 2007, 05:02 PM

This would have been a really bad thing if it went ahead. I'm glad they didn't.

January 16th, 2007, 07:20 PM	#2
Blind_Io Dispenses buckshot medication for all undead patients. Joined: Apr 5th, 2006 Last Online: 08:15 PM Location: Richmond, California, USA Age: 27 Posts: 8,933 Car: 2004 Honda Civic Coupe 2000 VFR800 Interceptor Rep Power: 113	Oh boy, this opens up a whole new avenue for French jokes in the UK. __________________ Life is like riding, you have to keep your balance to keep moving. Deacon of Dirt, Head of North American Anti-Environmental Inquisition (Left Coast Division). founder of The Church of Gear's Two Wheeled Sect. Zombie Slayer, Extraordinaire. Reasonable rates, inquire within.

January 16th, 2007, 07:42 PM	#3
Momentum57 Joined: Aug 26th, 2005 Last Online: 12:12 AM Location: Manlius Outside of Syracuse Age: 24 Posts: 1,129 Car: Jaguar X-Type 3.0 Rep Power: 19	I thought the French love queens? Guess they just don't love the queen. __________________

January 16th, 2007, 10:18 PM	#5
Cobol74 Joined: Mar 21st, 2006 Last Online: 09:18 PM Location: Southampton Posts: 5,820 Car: Vauxhall Zafira 1.9 TDI Slush box. Rep Power: 50	Then we asked to join the Common Market. ... The French said non, boot and foot! __________________

January 18th, 2007, 03:07 AM	#7
Viper007Bond Lazy Head Dude Joined: Sep 21st, 2003 Last Online: 03:37 PM Location: Portland, Oregon Age: 24 Posts: 20,993 Car: Dodge Viper (I wish!) Rep Power: 234	Heard about this a few days ago. Pretty funny. __________________ Fight back against the evil Quiky by +1'ing this post! There is no replacement for displacement. - Wolfgang Bernhard, Chief Operating Officer, Chrysler Group talking about the Dodge Viper SRT-10 ... I ask Herb Helbig, vehicle synthesis manager for SRT and a member of the original Team Viper development group since day one, if they'd ever thought of adding traction control. "It comes with two," he says, pointing at my feet. "Learn to use them." Got it. - Motor Trend on the 2006 Dodge Viper Coupe, November 2005

January 22nd, 2007, 12:28 PM	#9
Hidden_Hunter D: Joined: Oct 7th, 2006 Last Online: 08:09 PM Location: Melbourne, Australia Age: 20 Posts: 4,343 Car: '08 Honda Accord Euro Rep Power: 46	pleh I scored really crappy for french when I did it at school :p __________________ My car is dark grey not black!

January 16th, 2007, 07:45 PM	#4
epp_b n00b of the year Joined: Jun 23rd, 2006 Last Online: 07:00 PM Location: Canadaland :) Posts: 4,719 Car: 1995 Nissan 240SX Rep Power: 41	Momentum, zing!!

January 22nd, 2007, 05:02 PM	#10
Goose+ Previously Known As TopGearFan+ Joined: Oct 11th, 2006 Last Online: 07:00 PM Location: England Age: 18 Posts: 766 Rep Power: 0	This would have been a really bad thing if it went ahead. I'm glad they didn't.

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