# France and Britain



## slayer (5 Jan 2009)

When did these two countries become allies. For centuries they were enemies, and rivals. Today they are good allies. I can't figure how they went from haters to lovers. If someone could explain this to me i would be appreciative.


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## George Wallace (5 Jan 2009)

Would World War I or World War II help?


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## Michael OLeary (5 Jan 2009)

slayer said:
			
		

> When did these two countries become allies. For centuries they were enemies, and rivals. Today they are good allies. I can't figure how they went from haters to lovers. If someone could explain this to me i would be appreciative.



If you start from the last war you now they fought against one another, and then find the first time they fought on the same side, that will narrow the period of your research.


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## Old Sweat (5 Jan 2009)

Hint: it was after Waterloo and before the charge of the light brigade.


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## slayer (5 Jan 2009)

I know they were allies in the World wars but how can you go from hating eachother for 100's of years to becoming allies so fast.


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## Blackadder1916 (5 Jan 2009)

slayer said:
			
		

> When did these two countries become allies. For centuries they were enemies, and rivals. Today they are good allies. I can't figure *how they went from haters to lovers*. If someone could explain this to me i would be appreciative.



What makes you think they "love" each other now (or during the world wars)?  "Tolerate" may be a better description.  The phrase "Entente Cordiale" may give you a starting point for research.


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## slayer (5 Jan 2009)

Searching Entente Cordiale answered my question. Thanks for the help.


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## geo (5 Jan 2009)

slayer said:
			
		

> I know they were allies in the World wars but how can you go from hating eachother for 100's of years to becoming allies so fast.


France and England were competing on a global scale.
Given that both countries have pert much done away with whatever colonies they might have ever had.... what is there to hate each other about.


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## Kat Stevens (5 Jan 2009)

geo said:
			
		

> France and England were competing on a global scale.
> Given that both countries have pert much done away with whatever colonies they might have ever had.... what is there to hate each other about.



Crappy beer, combative attitude, those reeking cigarettes, Citroen 2CV, those irritating yellow headlights.


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## the 48th regulator (6 Jan 2009)

Good place I found that helped with question like that, was here;

Click link for answers

dileas

tess


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## ltmaverick25 (7 Jan 2009)

Alliances were never built out of love but out of mutual interest.

For centuries England and France were enemies but those were different times.  They were seperated on religious lines after Britain renounced catholocism and adopted protestantism (France stayed devoutly devouted to the catholic church).

As others have mentioned they were also competing for global power.  More importantly however a unified Germany did not exist in those days.  The unification of Germany and its emergence as a European power is what pushed England and France together.  The First World War was fought side by side by the British and the French due to mutual interests.


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