On May 10, 1940, the Wehrmacht (armed forces of Nazi Germany) began the offensive to occupy France. Paul Reynaud, Prime Minister, andCharles de Gaulle , secretary of the National Defense Council, were in favor of continuing the resistance in the colonies if France fell, but the majority of members of the Government, faced with the power of the German attack, were in favor of an armistice... Faced with this critical situation, Reynaud received a call of London that opened a door to hope...
On June 16, 1940, Winston Churchill , according to de Gaulle, called Reynaud:
The two Governments of the United Kingdom and the French Republic must make a declaration of indissoluble union and an uncompromising resolution in defense of justice and freedom against submission to a system that reduces humanity to a life of robots and slaves. The two governments will declare that France and Great Britain will cease to be two nations and will become the Franco-British Union . Every citizen of France will immediately enjoy UK citizenship. Every British subject will become a citizen of France. The armed forces of the United Kingdom and France will be under the direction of a single War Cabinet.
Flag of the Franco-British Union?
Reynaud, excited by that proposal, communicated it to the members of his Government... but for them it was almost an insult and they rejected it. Reynaud resigned and Philippe Pétain was appointed Prime Minister who a few days later signed the armistice with Germany in the wagon of revenge.
When Churchill learned of what happened in France, he said:
Rarely has such a generous proposal met with such a hostile reception.
Sources:The Guardian, Federal Union,