French Demographics

Submitted by Tom Dundee (United States), Nov 24, 2013 at 15:45

I do agree with your assessment of the actions of the polices of the US. I see pre-WWII France with about 20-25% of the population as favoring a genuinely democratic government with the rest of the population split between favoring a Communist or Facist/Nazi government. This is why the French did not resist the Nazi invasion because they were allied one way or the other. Remember, Hitler and Stalin were allies at this time. The French that fought alongside the British did a fine job as they held the line at Dunkirk so the British could finish the evacuation.

Churchill persuaded DeGaulle to distance himself from the Soviets to make him appear to be a better ally considering the US was watching the war progress.

DeGaulle drifted left again at war's end and he did not see much of a threat from the Soviets which led him to bail out of NATO. DeGaulle/France could do as they saw fit because 100,000 Americans and I am unsure of the British military strength stood between the French and the Soviets.

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