Franco-British relationship

During the first millennium there was little interaction between the two regions as both Britain and France were invaded by different Germany tribes.

Mid eleventh century: French Normans invaded England under William the Conqueror (duke of Normandy and king of England from 1066 to his death) Victory of the William’s army against the Anglo Saxon army at Hastings in 1066. England was ruled from France, the language of the aristocracy was French; England was officially a province of Normandy.

The Savoyards dukes took all the trade but they were bourguignon enemies who were allied to the English. That’s why the kings of England were more powerful than French kings. The Aquitaine, the Bretagne and the Bourgogne were under control.

The Hundred Years War (1337-1453) is often cited as the root of the traditional rivalry and at times hatred between the two countries. England lost their last territories in France except Calais (lost in 1558)

England was few interested by Europe but English government didn’t want that a nation could be more powerful than she and could be a challenger. When Spain had been the dominant world power in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the English had often sided with France as a counterweight against them. It was intended to keep a European balance of power and prevent one country gaining overwhelming supremacy: key to English strategy was to fear that a Universal Monarchy of Europe would be able to overwhelm the British Isles. It was the motto of “diviser pour mieux régner”.

Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 as Spain’s power weakened, France began to take a more assertive role under Louis XIV with an expansionist policy. English foreign policy was now directed towards preventing France gaining supremacy.

Formation of Great Britain: Act of Union in 1707created kingdom of Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) Britain was increasingly democratic. The newly united Britain fought France in the