Ben Macintyre: Britain, France to Bury the Hatchet at Last
[Ben Macintyre is a columnist for the Times (UK)]
MORE than a millennium of mutual mistrust, nationalistic hostility and thoroughly enjoyable reciprocal stereotyping is under threat as Britain and France outline plans for unprecedented military collaboration.
British and French soldiers will train together under a new treaty announced last night. They may even, in future, fight shoulder to shoulder in a single brigade. British soldiers will learn French, and French soldiers will study English. The forces will share planes, aircraft carriers and expertise.
A few years ago, Jacques Chirac himself declared that France could never rely on Perfidious Albion (at least not gastronomically): "You can't trust people who cook as badly as that." Now our soldiers will share a mess. Sir Humphrey, in Yes, Minister, succinctly defined the long-established tradition of Anglo-French military thinking: "If they've got the bomb, then we must have the bomb." British nuclear warheads may soon be serviced by French scientists....
Read entire article at The Australian
MORE than a millennium of mutual mistrust, nationalistic hostility and thoroughly enjoyable reciprocal stereotyping is under threat as Britain and France outline plans for unprecedented military collaboration.
British and French soldiers will train together under a new treaty announced last night. They may even, in future, fight shoulder to shoulder in a single brigade. British soldiers will learn French, and French soldiers will study English. The forces will share planes, aircraft carriers and expertise.
A few years ago, Jacques Chirac himself declared that France could never rely on Perfidious Albion (at least not gastronomically): "You can't trust people who cook as badly as that." Now our soldiers will share a mess. Sir Humphrey, in Yes, Minister, succinctly defined the long-established tradition of Anglo-French military thinking: "If they've got the bomb, then we must have the bomb." British nuclear warheads may soon be serviced by French scientists....