Monday January 15 2007
The Guardian
[...]
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.
[...]
Copyright Guardian News and Media Limited
I can't figure out how this could have worked, culturally. The reactions to this so-called revelation (apparently it was already mentioned in Keith Kyle's book about Suez) on both sides of the Channel are eloquent. I know I wouldn't bother -- both languages are already in my brain anyway...
but it seems an armed conquest of one country by the other would be more believable than a peaceful union! I guess the European Union in itself really is an accomplishment...
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