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Volume 2: My Country Chapter 644. Three Misselier Incidents

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    !Miselier said that he had asked de Gaulle to reply as soon as possible. If de Gaulle rejected this plan, he would notify the British government that he and his fleet had completed combat deployment and were ready to participate in the war at any time - but not as a force commanded by General de Gaulle.  !  After lunch, the conspirators returned to Miselier's apartment and drafted a decree detailing the scheme, which was intended to be handed over to de Gaulle for signature and "the approval of His Majesty's Government."

    Narris¡¯s voice was unhurried, and he told everything he knew.

    De Gaulle, who had already obtained all the truth about the talks and had insight into the British attitude, already had a plan in mind.  He ignored Misselier's "note" and "draft decree" and carefully planned his next move at Carlton Gardens.  Miselier was impatient. On the third night, he couldn't bear it anymore and made an appointment with Rabat to visit de Gaulle.  De Gaulle told them pleasantly that there would be no problem in establishing a committee, whose chairman would be himself.  The general welcomed Miselier and Rabat to the committee but flatly refused to allow Molay to replace Passy.  Miselier and Rabat immediately stated that they could not accept the plan of De Gaulle continuing to hold power alone and Parsi taking sole control of intelligence work.  They refused to join the committee.

    Miselier, who was confused by the power, thought that this would force de Gaulle to make concessions.  The next morning he called Deschamps, who was in charge of political cabinet affairs, and asked the general if he had changed his mind.  Deschamps replied that the general was in fact preparing to announce a list of appointments to the National Council, which included neither Misselier nor Mollay and Rabat.  Miselier was furious and said: In this case, the navy "will continue to fight independently"!  Then he actually informed the British Admiralty that he was ready to put his fleet at their disposal.

    De Gaulle was furious when he learned that Miselier was going further and further down the path of separatism, but he still sent Miselier a stern ultimatum: "You have informed me of your decision.  , which means that you and the navy are breaking with the Free France. This is an intolerable abuse of the military command authority granted to you. I will give you 24 hours to regain your senses and resume your duties.  , I will take all necessary measures to ensure that you do not cause harm and make what you do public, which means that you will be despised by people.

    I have to inform you one more thing.  I am sure we will have the support of our British allies.  They recognized me as leader of Free France.  "

    Then, de Gaulle visited Churchill at 1 p.m. and informed him of the above situation.  Churchill was shocked, because things had developed to this point, which obviously seriously harmed the common interests of Britain and France!

    That night, the British cabinet held emergency consultations and decided to do its best to mediate.  In the end, Miselier had to give in, and de Gaulle included him in the newly established nine-member committee because "he is undoubtedly an outstanding naval officer and can still serve the Free France at his post!"

    "General de Gaulle successfully resolved this crisis with my intelligence, but he soon ushered in the third Misselier crisis." Narris sneered and continued to say:

    "The seriousness of this incident, if I hadn't informed General de Gaulle, maybe General de Gaulle would have resigned by now."

    Menzies nodded silently. Yes, the third incident almost brought the Anglo-French alliance to a complete break. It even involved the United States and completely disrupted the British government's overall plan.

    There are two French islands off the coast of Newfoundland in North America: Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. The more than 5,000 residents on the islands have no good impressions of the Vichy government.  But the Vichy government had a powerful radio station on the island, which they used to broadcast propaganda to the United States and to inform German submarines of the position of Allied convoys sailing in the Atlantic.  Therefore, these two inconspicuous islands occupy a very important strategic position.  The United States and Canada have long wanted to control it, but they were hampered by the favor of Old P¨¦tain.  Since the surrender of France, President Roosevelt, Secretary of State Hull and Under Secretary of State Wells have spared no effort to maintain close relations with P¨¦tain's Vichy government, hoping to encourage the old marshal to hold his head high and not to destroy the French fleet.  Leave it to the Germans and one day be able to convince and lead North Africa to take up arms and go to war against the Germans.

    De Gaulle has long wanted to regain the two islands, but this must be agreed by the United States and Canada.  When de Gaulle asked British Foreign Secretary Anthony.  Eden explained the above issues to him when he informed him of his intention to take action in the autumn of 11941.  Getting Canadian permission was easy, but getting U.S. approval was another matter entirely.

    Since the outbreak of the war, de Gaulle has always had great confidence in the United States.  Like Churchill, he was convinced that the United States would eventually enter the war and that its intervention would be decisive.  Unlike Churchill, he hoped to use the United States to resistA measure of British influence on France.  To this end, he sent several missions to Washington, repeatedly proposed cooperation with the U.S. State Department, and even offered to allow the U.S. military to fully use Free French naval bases in Africa.  However, the United States showed no reaction

    In President Roosevelt¡¯s view, de Gaulle was ¡°just a French general.¡±  The French generals, since surrendering on June 22, 1940, have lost their former glory and glory.  !

    As for de Gaulle, this particular French commodore, according to the report provided by Admiral Lehi, the American representative in Vichy France who was deeply influenced by P¨¦tain, he was not only a "traitor of France", but also a "puppet of Britain"  ", and even has the tendency of a fascist dictator; in addition, the defeat in Dakar is enough to prove that he will not become a climate.

    Therefore, the Roosevelt administration has been courting the Vichy regime with futile but admirable patience and is not willing to pay attention to de Gaulle.

    They firmly disagreed with de Gaulle taking action against Saint-Pierre and Miquelon; on the other hand, they planned to let "Canada send personnel to manage the radio stations on the island."  In this way, a military plan turned into a problem of foreign interference in French territory.  This is of course something the French national interests cannot tolerate.

    Therefore, de Gaulle ordered Admiral Miselier to go to Canada to inspect the Free French naval forces stationed there in early December.  On Christmas Eve, he categorically ordered Miselier to capture the two islands immediately.

    Roosevelt and Churchill did not pay much attention to the matter at first, but Secretary of State Hull did not.  "Although these two islands are relatively unimportant, their forcible occupation by the Free French would cause us great trouble¡§ which may seriously affect our relations with the government of Marshal P¨¦tain."

    He issued a communique expressing his indignation: "Preliminary reports we have received indicate that the landing of the so-called Free French warships on the island of Saint-Pierre was an arbitrary action that violated the agreement of the parties concerned and did not give any prior notice.  Or seek the consent of the United States. The U.S. government has asked the Canadian government what measures it is prepared to take to restore the status quo of the island.¡±

    But the Canadian government's reply was: "Canadians are pleased with de Gaulle's action." American public opinion also greatly appreciated this action and expressed great indignation at Hull's statement about the "so-called Free French", regardless of the consequences.  Countless sarcastic and insulting letters from the "so-called Secretary of State" and the "so-called State Department" flew across his desk.  Unwilling to give up, Hull tried his best to persuade Churchill to support him in forcing de Gaulle to evacuate the island, but Churchill believed that "Mr. Hull was making a mountain out of a molehill" because the British Foreign Office had sent a telegram pointing out any move to force de Gaulle to evacuate.  "It's bound to cause an incredible upheaval that we won't be able to explain to the public."

    De Gaulle also sent a telegram to Churchill, clearly stating that "the different attitudes currently adopted by the U.S. State Department toward Free France and the Vichy regime will greatly damage the fighting spirit in France and elsewhere. The U.S. government is deeply concerned about those responsible for the surrender and the prisoners."  The public expression of such a preference by a person guilty of collaboration with the enemy will create a regrettable impression on the army and territory of Free France and on public opinion in the occupied areas."  Therefore, Churchill not only did not support Hull in forcing de Gaulle, but at the joint meeting the next day, he condemned the surrendering Vichy regime and defended de Gaulle.

    But Secretary Hull is equally stubborn.  He first drafted a face-saving statement. After Churchill refused to sign, he drafted a new agreement, proposing that all armed forces be withdrawn from the islands, and that the two islands be jointly managed by the United States, Britain, and Canada. He also proposed to Roosevelt that all armed forces should be withdrawn from the islands.  Threaten: If the president does not give him firmer support on this matter, he will resign.

    Roosevelt had no choice but to persuade Churchill to put pressure on de Gaulle and hinted that he would not hesitate to use force.  Churchill was quite embarrassed and had to force de Gaulle to accept the Hull plan. Unable to lose his temper, Churchill had to urge Foreign Secretary Eden to act as a middleman again.

    Now that things have reached this point, of course de Gaulle cannot buy anyone's face.  He believes that a person may have friends, but a nation cannot have friends!  And he is already the protector of national interests.  Therefore, he must not compromise.

    Aiden hinted: "The United States is considering sending a cruiser and two destroyers to St. Pierre Island. What will you do then?"

    De Gaulle replied: "The Allied warships will be anchored outside the territorial waters of the island and the American naval general will go to the island to have lunch with Miselier. He will be very happy."

    Aiden asked again: ¡°But what if an American cruiser sails into French territorial waters?¡±

    De Gaulle replied coldly: "Our people will notify them to stop advancing as usual!"

    Aiden asked again: "What if they still drive forward?"

    De Gaulle still said calmly: "Then the most regrettable thing will happen, because then our men will have to fire!  "

    This attitude of leaving no room for compromise made it impossible for Minister Eden to serve as a lobbyist, so he had no choice but to go back and report to Churchill truthfully.  Churchill was even more in a dilemma.  Because objectively speaking, the United States' rich resources, strong economic strength, and advanced science and technology are indeed the backbone and backing of the Allied forces, and he really cannot offend it.  He once again persuaded de Gaulle to compromise and used himself as an example: "Look at how I can bend and stretch and turn around!"

    De Gaulle replied flatly: "You can do that, but I can't! Because you have a united nation, a unified empire, and a huge army based on a solid country. But what about me! My resources are  Where? But I, you know, am responsible for the interests and destiny of France. This burden is too heavy for me to bow my head, and the environment does not allow me to bow my head.

    This is de Gaulle¡¯s difficulty, and it is also a fact.  Of course, Churchill could no longer force de Gaulle.  Therefore, this experienced diplomat once again used his superb diplomatic genius and used various mediations to finally delay the matter for more than a month. The excitement of both parties gradually cooled down and finally acquiesced to the reality of the two islands.

    Unexpectedly, the unwilling Admiral Misselier inexplicably stirred up trouble and quickly expanded the situation into a political crisis between Britain and France.

    He returned to Britain on February 28. De Gaulle welcomed him as a triumphant hero and immediately asked him to lead a new combat operation. However, Miselier unusually publicly accused De Gaulle of harming his colleagues during the two-island incident.  American relations angrily denounced de Gaulle's "authoritarian tendencies"; three days later, he announced his resignation from the National Council, leaving all his colleagues stunned.  When de Gaulle accepted his resignation, he declared that he would continue to serve as Commander-in-Chief of the Free French Navy; and this time, in addition to Molay, Rabat and others, he also received the full support of the British Admiralty Minister Alexander.  What's more, all the members of the war cabinet echoed Alexander; they even passed a resolution: "We must insist that Admiral Miselier remain Commander-in-Chief of the Free French Navy; if General de Gaulle does not agree to this  opinion, we will have to take the necessary steps to make this opinion effective.¡±

    In this way, an internal conflict in Free France turned into a quarrel between Britain and France.  Anthony.  Eden was a veteran in handling the previous two Miserier incidents and was asked to convey the cabinet's position to de Gaulle this time.  But de Gaulle's uncompromising attitude once again hit a wall.  De Gaulle said "he did not know whether the Minister of State realized the seriousness of the situation" and "as the leader of the Free French Movement, he cannot allow his position to be shaken by Miselier's conspiracy!"

    Finally Eden asked him what he would do with the admiral, and de Gaulle said he would advise Miselier to "rest."  Eden advised the general to consider for 48 hours before making a reply, which further fueled De Gaulle's anger. As soon as he returned, he convened a meeting of the National Council and decided to order Miselier to take a 30-day leave, during which he was not allowed to appear at the naval headquarters.  The admiral became furious and refused to obey.  So he was sentenced to 30 days of house arrest.  In accordance with the British-French Judicial Agreement, de Gaulle also asked His Majesty's Government to ensure that penalties are carried out.  The British cabinet was extremely embarrassed and refused to reply. De Gaulle ordered a cessation of all contacts with the British government and retired to the countryside on March 18.

    Now the British cabinet had to make concessions again.  Because since de Gaulle delivered his famous "June 18th" speech, he has actually become the spiritual leader of all French resistance forces, and his subsequent arduous efforts have consolidated his position in Free France that no one can replace.  The Admiralty was forced to compromise.

    On March 23, they informed de Gaulle that the British government no longer insisted on its original opinion and promised not to allow the admiral to have any contact with Free French naval personnel within 30 days.

    Since then, Miselier disappeared from the political stage.

    In this incident, although the U.S. and British governments were forced to make compromises, they were humiliated and even received numerous domestic criticisms. However, de Gaulle used these three incidents to greatly improve his international prestige.

    However, no one expected that during the three "Miselier Incidents", de Gaulle had relied on Narris to fully grasp the attitudes of the United States and Britain, and thus put himself in the most advantageous position.  superior.

    "Colonel, you can actually think about it carefully." Narris's voice was not loud, but it was enough for Menzies to hear clearly:

    "Why did General de Gaulle know so clearly every step taken by the United States and Britain, and when their attitudes would change? If I had not reported this information to him in time, he would never have taken such a tough attitude, and would have even had to  Threaten Britain by resigning.

    Because in my intelligence analysis, once wornGaulle threatened to resign, then the British government and Prime Minister Churchill himself would have to accept all General de Gaulle's demands.  The same goes for the United States.  "

    Menzies thanked him.

    Yes, during the three "Miselier Incidents", the British government was always very confused about De Gaulle's attitude. De Gaulle seemed to know everything they did in advance.

    At first they thought there was something wrong within themselves, but after careful investigation nothing was found. In the end they could only think that de Gaulle did have an extraordinary ability to see everything.

    But now with Naris¡¯ explanation, all the truth is clear.

    "Can you be responsible for what you said? Even in front of General de Gaulle?" Menzies finally asked.

    "I can." Narris sighed: "At this point, do I have any choice? Apart from cooperating with you, I have no other way to go. Don't worry, I know that when I see General de Gaulle  What to say next.¡±

    Menzies felt slightly satisfied: "Then, we will take you to a safe place and let you rest there temporarily."
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