England - France Rivalry: Historical Repercussions

When these two countries were colonial powers, they necessarily came into conflict at many places. Two countries which bore the brunt/benefits of this rivalry were India & what later came to be known as the United States of America.

To consider the case of India first, many native rulers tried to shake off the Imperialist yoke of England by taking the help of the French, who also had colonies here. One of them was Tipu Sultan, who was ruling the state called Mysore then. Though he offered stiff resistance, he was eventually defeated. As a reminder of the French presence here, there was a town called "French Rocks." Now it is known as "Pandavapura." The spiritual leader, Sri Aurobindo, was also hounded by the British for his part in the freedom struggle then. He took refuge in Pondicherry, which was a French colony then.

In America, the man who judiciously used the French support for American Independence was Benjamin Franklin. Though the French were reluctant to concede the whole of Canada to the British, he conducted successful diplomacy to enlist the French support to dislodge the British. He made repeated trips to France & was lionised there, whereas he was heaped with vituperation in England. Actually, in his lifetime, he was more popular in France than even the USA! It should be remembered that the iconic Statue of Liberty at New York harbour (metal framework made by Eiffel of the Tower in Paris fame) was a gift of France to USA. All these details are recounted in the definitive biography of Franklin by Walter Isaacson.