Historian Robert Tombs on the 1,000-Year Rivalry Between Britain And France
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What is the historical origin of the England‑France rivalry?
As a great 19th century French historian said, the French came to realize they were French through fighting the English. Both for quite a long time now. Indeed, the French, I suppose since the Battle of Waterloo, have been rather obsessed with the idea that they are nations in decline. The idea of European integration was to make sure that Germany was no longer endangered to France, and secondly, to make sure that France was essentially. leading Europe. So that's how France becomes a great power again. Brexit was the way of reasserting our position as a great nation. It's their their great national project and has been for a long time now. And therefore for the British to walk away from it was a kind of slap in the face.
But it also meant that the French absolutely want Brexit to fail. In many ways we respond to the same challenges in opposite ways.
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Historian Robert Toomes, such a pleasure to have you on the show. It's great to be here. It's wonderful to have you. There are so many different things that we could talk about. We love discussing history with eminent historians like you. Um, the one thing that we wanted to focus is uh something you cover in one of your books, which is the England versus France, or now Britain versus France rivalry. Uh the
most fun book I've ever done, I think, by a long way.
Uh and y you you have personal experience. You you I think you're married to a French lady.
We were co-authors.
Yes, indeed. Uh so the rivalry is uh injected throughout. Yeah, it's in the book. That's right. Um tell us about England and France and uh the rivalry between these two. I mean I was about to say countries, but actually it goes it precedes the existence of countries at all. It doesn't
matter. It does really. In fact both England originally and France, and to some extent Ireland, Scotland, Wales, developed identities, their own identities through the conflict. There are the Scots with their alliance with France, us with our long conflict with France, and the French, uh as a great nineteenth century French historian said, the French came to realise they were French through fighting the English, in this is in the first hundred years' war. And you might say, well Why is it still s kind of there? And I think the the answer's, you know, fairly plain, both France and Britain. Have had huge influences i i on world history in the last three hundred years. They've been major players on the world stage.
And often as rivals, indeed quite often as enemies, sometimes as allies, quite often as enemies. And they're they're they got a bit obsessed with each other and and like to see each other as opposites, though in in my view they're in some ways rather similar. And another thing is that both, for quite a long time now, indeed the French, I suppose since the Battle of Waterloo, have been rather obsessed with the idea. appear that they are nations in decline. Uh we all know that now and you know and that you go to France, they'll say, No, nothing works here anymore and which is what we say all the time. So there's this sense of countries in decline and even in crisis. And you might say, Well, why does that s pla play into the Anglo French thing?
And I think it's because both are really rather keen that the other should be doing worse than them. So you know, you look at Le Monde or uh look at the Times and you see, you know, reports on things happening in France, fires in France, strikes in France, and uh i if you look at the French press, it's often about, you know, unemployment in Britain. Uh th another prime minister goes in Britain, aren't we well off compared with with them? And I think it's it's quite important in both countries to see themselves as doing at least not as badly as the other one.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the historical origin of the England‑France rivalry?
0:02–12:01
2
How did the French Revolution shape French national identity?
12:01–23:48
3
Why does France view European integration as a way to contain Germany?
23:48–34:03
4
What role did Napoleon play in the Anglo‑French rivalry?
34:03–44:09
5
How did the French Resistance and Vichy regime affect post‑war politics?
44:09–55:23
6
Why do modern French voters still reference the rivalry in today’s elections?
55:23–1:05:24
7
How does the legacy of the rivalry influence current UK‑France relations (e.g., Brexit, small‑boat issue)?
1:05:24–1:16:15
8
What key question about Anglo‑French history has been overlooked in this discussion?
1:16:15–1:23:06
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