Dear All!
Thanks for all the feedback on the discussion thread from last year here. As I am sure you all know the 16th of June 1940 is now exactly 70 years away, which seems like a good date to begin this TL for good.
Writing style wise, this is my first TL so constructive criticism is welcome! I intend to have a mainly an history book style writing, coupled with some dialogue in the case of certain posts.
Part One
Chapter 1: The declaration of Union
Bordeaux 16th of June 1940, 16h00
“Monsieur le Président, perhaps you could become the president of the Franco-British war council! But the task is now in your hands alone Monsieur le Président, both myself and Winston Churchill count on you in this time of great danger. The fate of France is in your hands”
“Général, I will fight to the end for this document you can count on me!”
The phone receiver down, Paul Reynaud was left with the company of Edward Spears and Ronald Hugh Campbell, respectively Foreign Office representative and personal representative of Winston Churchill to the French Government.
“Monsieur le Président, I can assure you that the British Government will never let down her ally in her hour of greatest need. You never let us down during the First World War and I saw your fighting spirit there, the war is not lost Monsieur le Président!”
“I know General Spears, but Maréchal Pétain will not be a walkover, as I am sure you know!”
“But Monsieur le Président I believe that he handed his resignation yesterday under certain conditions, namely a clear response from us. You now have this response, use it to your advantage. Oh and surely it might be better if the word does not spread too much!”
“You might be right Général!”
“Aide, bring me a typewriter” said Paul Reynaud in a very determined voice!
17h00, Conseil des Ministres
“Messieurs I have a very important announcement to make to you all, which concern the conduct of the war, please listen carefully! This, he said taking a sheet of paper out of his right pocked, document comes from London and has the approval of Monsieur Churchill himself as well as of all the British Cabinet.
The silence lasted for a while once Paul Reynaud had finished reading the document for the second time so as to make his point very clear. The first to break the silence, standing up to a still stunned room, was a man with a never before seen fire in his eye and a man whom would later play a very important role in building our country as we know it today. His name was Georges Mandel.
Extracted from “Seventy Years of l’Union Cordiale” special edition of the Daily Telegraph, 16th June 2010.
“Messieurs les Ministres, l’honneur de la France urges us to accept this generous proposal coming from our ally. The alternative I am afraid is an unknown fate at the hands of Hitler and his cronies and the honour of France demands us to reject such uncertainty.”
“Because you don’t think that becoming a British Dominion is uncertainty, Monsieur Mandel. Barked Camille Chautemps, further adding, Monsieur le Président du Conseil allons this proposal is a luncacy, the dire situation we are in calls for decisiveness, not for zany schemes such as this one coming from a country likely to be invaded over the summer!
There I am afraid that we will have to disagree Monsieur le Vice Président du Conseil, the Manche is slightly wider than the Rhine and according to intelligence from Général Spears the German navy is still smaller than the Royal Navy.
Mais Monsieur le Président du Conseil, said a man at the back of the room in a voice worn down by time. Do you realise that the war is lost in France and that we should rather be thinking about asking for an armistice!”
“Maréchal Pétain, there are still over a million of our soldiers fighting the Germans, we therefore can hold the line for some time. As for an Armistice I hope that you realise that this mean uncertainty at the hands of the enemy and a betrayal of everything this country stands for!”
“Monsieur le Président du Conseil, continuing the war is a lunacy!”
“If you do not agree with this declaration Marshall you are free to leave this room, Indeed I believe that you handed your resignation yesterday, so I will ask you to assume the consequences of your actions!”
“This is an outrage!”
“Not as much as the outrage your are proposing to commit by handing this country to the enemy!” Georges Mandel said in a stern voice.
“But I do not propose to betray my country either by handing it to the English! I am a soldier, let me speak to my fellow German soldiers, together we can find an honourable arrangement!”
“An arrangement with the enemy as opposed to an arrangement with our ally, Monsieur le Maréchal what you are mentioning is called treason! I will order my services to arrest you for high treason!”
The Maréchal left the room stunned and shaken, under the awed eyes of the members of the council.
“This body will now vote on the proposition!”
By 13 votes to 9 the French Conseil des Ministres had decided to continue the war!
London Waterloo station, 17h15
“Prime Minister a message from France!” The Prime Minister read the message and said to the assembled audience, comprosing the leaders of the three parties and military and civil advisers. “Gentlemens, en route to Concarneau, France stays in the war!”
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=142137
Thanks for all the feedback on the discussion thread from last year here. As I am sure you all know the 16th of June 1940 is now exactly 70 years away, which seems like a good date to begin this TL for good.
Writing style wise, this is my first TL so constructive criticism is welcome! I intend to have a mainly an history book style writing, coupled with some dialogue in the case of certain posts.
Part One
Chapter 1: The declaration of Union
Bordeaux 16th of June 1940, 16h00
“Monsieur le Président, perhaps you could become the president of the Franco-British war council! But the task is now in your hands alone Monsieur le Président, both myself and Winston Churchill count on you in this time of great danger. The fate of France is in your hands”
“Général, I will fight to the end for this document you can count on me!”
The phone receiver down, Paul Reynaud was left with the company of Edward Spears and Ronald Hugh Campbell, respectively Foreign Office representative and personal representative of Winston Churchill to the French Government.
“Monsieur le Président, I can assure you that the British Government will never let down her ally in her hour of greatest need. You never let us down during the First World War and I saw your fighting spirit there, the war is not lost Monsieur le Président!”
“I know General Spears, but Maréchal Pétain will not be a walkover, as I am sure you know!”
“But Monsieur le Président I believe that he handed his resignation yesterday under certain conditions, namely a clear response from us. You now have this response, use it to your advantage. Oh and surely it might be better if the word does not spread too much!”
“You might be right Général!”
“Aide, bring me a typewriter” said Paul Reynaud in a very determined voice!
17h00, Conseil des Ministres
“Messieurs I have a very important announcement to make to you all, which concern the conduct of the war, please listen carefully! This, he said taking a sheet of paper out of his right pocked, document comes from London and has the approval of Monsieur Churchill himself as well as of all the British Cabinet.
The Declaration of Union said:At this most fateful moment in the history of the modern world the Governments of the United Kingdom and the French Republic make this declaration of indissoluble union and unyielding resolution in their common defence of justice and freedom, against subjection to a system which reduces mankind to a life of robots and slaves.
The two Governments declare that France and Great Britain shall no longer be two nations but one Franco-British Union. The constitution of the Union will provide for joint organs of defence, foreign, financial, and economic policies. Every citizen of France will enjoy immediately citizenship of Great Britain, every British subject will become a citizen of France.
Both countries will share responsibility for the repair the devastation of war, wherever it occurs in their territories, and the resources of both shall be equally, and as one, applied to that purpose.
During the war there shall be a single war Cabinet, and all the forces of Britain and France, whether on land, sea, or in the air, will be placed under its direction. It will govern from wherever it best can. The two Parliaments will be formally associated.
The nations of the British Empire are already forming new armies. France will keep her available forces in the field, on the sea, and in the air.
The Union appeals to the United States to fortify the economic resources of the Allies and to bring her powerful material aid to the common cause.
The Union will concentrate its whole energy against the power of the enemy no matter where the battle may be. And thus we shall conquer.
The silence lasted for a while once Paul Reynaud had finished reading the document for the second time so as to make his point very clear. The first to break the silence, standing up to a still stunned room, was a man with a never before seen fire in his eye and a man whom would later play a very important role in building our country as we know it today. His name was Georges Mandel.
Extracted from “Seventy Years of l’Union Cordiale” special edition of the Daily Telegraph, 16th June 2010.
“Messieurs les Ministres, l’honneur de la France urges us to accept this generous proposal coming from our ally. The alternative I am afraid is an unknown fate at the hands of Hitler and his cronies and the honour of France demands us to reject such uncertainty.”
“Because you don’t think that becoming a British Dominion is uncertainty, Monsieur Mandel. Barked Camille Chautemps, further adding, Monsieur le Président du Conseil allons this proposal is a luncacy, the dire situation we are in calls for decisiveness, not for zany schemes such as this one coming from a country likely to be invaded over the summer!
There I am afraid that we will have to disagree Monsieur le Vice Président du Conseil, the Manche is slightly wider than the Rhine and according to intelligence from Général Spears the German navy is still smaller than the Royal Navy.
Mais Monsieur le Président du Conseil, said a man at the back of the room in a voice worn down by time. Do you realise that the war is lost in France and that we should rather be thinking about asking for an armistice!”
“Maréchal Pétain, there are still over a million of our soldiers fighting the Germans, we therefore can hold the line for some time. As for an Armistice I hope that you realise that this mean uncertainty at the hands of the enemy and a betrayal of everything this country stands for!”
“Monsieur le Président du Conseil, continuing the war is a lunacy!”
“If you do not agree with this declaration Marshall you are free to leave this room, Indeed I believe that you handed your resignation yesterday, so I will ask you to assume the consequences of your actions!”
“This is an outrage!”
“Not as much as the outrage your are proposing to commit by handing this country to the enemy!” Georges Mandel said in a stern voice.
“But I do not propose to betray my country either by handing it to the English! I am a soldier, let me speak to my fellow German soldiers, together we can find an honourable arrangement!”
“An arrangement with the enemy as opposed to an arrangement with our ally, Monsieur le Maréchal what you are mentioning is called treason! I will order my services to arrest you for high treason!”
The Maréchal left the room stunned and shaken, under the awed eyes of the members of the council.
“This body will now vote on the proposition!”
By 13 votes to 9 the French Conseil des Ministres had decided to continue the war!
London Waterloo station, 17h15
“Prime Minister a message from France!” The Prime Minister read the message and said to the assembled audience, comprosing the leaders of the three parties and military and civil advisers. “Gentlemens, en route to Concarneau, France stays in the war!”
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=142137