De Gaulle and Churchill: a stormy relation...

                        Between these two strong personalities both loaded of important responsabilities, the first leading France, European power, and the other, at the top of one dominating island, from an economic, industrial and political point of view, the United Kingdom, the relations weren't always hearty. In fact, when these two stastesmen met at each other for the first time in June 1940, it passed very well, francophile Churchill supported his "colleague", proclaiming that he was his partner in his fight against Nazism ( the 28th of June in 1940)...Then, they gave proof of solidarity at each other, but from summer 1941, many elements, like the entry of the United States of America in the war, damage this beginning of promising link...At first, old colonial rivalries, especially about Syria and Lebanon bore their relationship: France is, in those day, a weak country, which doesn't manage to assert itself politically, and de Gaulle, very impregnated by nationalism, defends French interests and reporach UK to derive profit from this weakness. Then, poses the problem that represents the coming of the powerful American ally: indeed, Franck Roosevelt strove to announce the definitive defeat of France, and to consider de Gaulle as an arrogant and worthless head of state. And Churchill resigned himself to follow American trend, at the expense of an alliance with the Hexagon and of the General's friendship... The dissension just begins, punctuated by two keen episodes in 1942 during the disembarkments, who led to a terrible argument between de Gaulle and Churchill...However, teared between his duty of fidelity towards Roosevelt ans his desire of a solid link with the General, Churchill continues to admire this latter for his incredible personality, his energy, his temperament...On the 11th of November in 1944, their descent of the Champs-Elysées side by side mark for a time their reconciliation; reconciliation strengthened with their common perception of the Soviet threat. But a decade later, although Churchill won't the First minister anylonger, relations between these two European powers will deteriorate, with the obstinate refusal of de Gaulle to let the United Kingdom come into the EEC; refusal which lasted for almost twenty years...