World War Two as Pas de Deux

[steepholm]

It's often said, with some justice, that the British harp on too much about the Second World War, to say nothing of its sporting avatar, the 1966 World Cup Final. Large though it looms here, however, that conflict (I mean WWII) sometimes seems still more central in France, and in an oddly tunnel-visioned way. I noted that some time ago President Sarkozy's curious taking of national pride in the fact that France did not invent the Final Solution, as if France and Germany were the only two countries in the world; and his speech to the EU summit in Brussels today was another example of the same phenomenon. In particular, he chose to address criticisms that France and Germany are railroading their solution to the Euro crisis through without properly involving the other 25 member states, by invoking the history of Franco-German conflicts from 1870 to 1940. According to the Europolitics web site:

He mentioned the particular obligation on Germany and France to agree, given their “70 years of deadly confrontations that nearly demolished the entire European continent and the world”. “We have more responsibilities than the others,” he added, before explaining: “Without agreement between France and Germany, agreement as 27 would be impossible”.

It's a strange form of penance in which extra responsibility translates into the right to dictate terms to everyone else. But it also strikes me as bizarre that Sarkozy feels comfortable characterizing WWI and WWII as, in effect, wars between France and Germany. Weren't some of the other countries at the current summit involved too? If the non-collaborating portion of France was put under occupation in 1940, weren't there occupations still more brutal in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Netherlands, and several more besides? Does Sarkozy really think the French role in that conflict more significant than that of the British - or even of the Finns? (I believe the Americans, Japanese, Russians, etc, may also have been involved.)

It's a curious form of delusion. But no one shouted him down.

Comments

[diceytillerman.livejournal.com]

That's really strange.

[calimac.livejournal.com]

The EU was originally founded with the purpose of finding a way of getting France and Germany to stop razzing on each other. No wonder they think they're the only countries in it.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

I don't find it strange- Sarko HAS to make himself seem more French than the French and his neo Gaullist attitudes would push him in this direction. He is the son of Hungarian immigrants (and the Hungarians have their own issues over the war, uderstandably enough).

France has never quite been a world power, give or take Buonaparte, and they constantly feel the need to remind people of their existence.

What some of the former East Bloc countries (not to mention various others) who suffered under the Nazi tyranny will make of all this undemocratic bullying remains to be seen.

That being said, I don't see what value Cameron's almighty flounce is likely to add to proceedings. 'Tis as Orwell says- without a connection to Europe we'll all have to work very hard and live on herrings and potatoes.

Does this sound awfully like present UK governmant pronouncements to you, because it sure as hell does to me!

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

I quite take your point about Sarkozy personally. And the lack of democracy (see these posts ad nauseam). I don't think I'd agree that France was never a world power except under Napoleon, but it's one of those "it depends what you mean by" questions, isn't it?

As for Cameron's flounce, I'm not sure what alternative he had, other than signing up for the Army of the Damned. (Not that he wasn't pleased to do it too, mind.) It seems a little hyperbolic to read lack of acquiescence in a treaty change that would be massively harmful to the UK economy and increase the EU's democratic deficit, as equivalent to cutting off the UK from the continent. The UK is still a member of the EU just as it was yesterday, but even if it weren't I really doubt the French would refuse to sell us cheese.