Page 27 - BBC History - September 2017

For a lot of British

and French

people in the

18th century,

allegiance to your

country wasn’t

that important

What’s the value of studying Anglo-
French history from the perspective
of both nations, rather than one?
RM: Looking at a ‘foreign’ country alongside
your own allows you to distance yourself
from inherited national narratives, such as
the idea that your nation’s history is particu-
larly unique. In Britain that would be the ‘our
island’ story, while in France it’s ‘l’Hexagone’,
the notion that the French territory forms a
perfect six-sided shape. I think that escaping
these national narratives is a very healthy way
Britain’s French critics also used Ireland as elites tried to argue that their system was of thinking.
an example of British disrespect for liberty. superior. They offered France up as a model
The Irish nationalist leader Daniel O’Connell of what could go wrong when the establish-
was popular in 1830s and 1840s France, both ment ceded ground to those demanding
with royalist Catholics and republicans, who reform – whether they were democrats,
saw him as opposing an oppressive state. Chartists or, later, socialists.
In fact, it wasn’t until the 1850s, when
Britain emerged relatively unscathed from the What part did the Channel play in
1848 revolutions that swept many European Anglo-French relations during the
nations, and was beginning to enjoy the fruits 18th and 19th centuries?
of the industrial revolution, that this view RM: From at least as far back as the
Fabrice Renaud Morieux
changed. But, even then, France didn’t see 17th century, there has been a notion in Bensimon is is senior lecturer
Britain as a model of economic prosperity, but Britain that the water itself belongs to the Marie Sklodowska in British history
rather regarded the transformation of its British domain. Hence the British call it the -Curie fellow at at the University
towns, workers and factories as the vision of ‘English Channel’. For a time, the French University College of Cambridge
London
a dehumanising future. monarchy contested this idea, and Louis XIV
even referred to it as ‘La Manche de France’.
And what was the British elite’s Yet during the 18th century, French claims
view of France? on the Channel disappeared. Both states DISCOVER MORE
FB: Before the French Revolution, many implicitly agreed that the border between
EVENT
people in the British establishment sought to England and France begins on the E Renaud Morieux and Fabrice Bensimon
define themselves against what they regarded French coast. were speaking to Ellie Cawthorne at the 2017
as the nationalist, expansionist and absolutist From a British perspective, this was based York Festival of Ideas, in collaboration with
instincts of the French system. on a number of arguments. One was that the Institut Français. For more on this event,
Following the Revolution, the British began England was the sovereign of the seas. go to yorkfestivalofideas.com
to regard their neighbours across the Channel Another was that the Channel Islands were
as the French viewed them – chaotic and part of the duchy of Normandy and the Duke ON THE PODCAST
volatile. By contrasting France’s litany of of Normandy was the king of England, E Listen out for the full interview
regimes and revolutions with what they saw as making the Channel simply an English river in our podcast: historyextra.com/
their own more stable constitution, British between English possessions. bbchistorymagazine/podcasts

BBC History Magazine 27