Location: The
Heritage Foundation's Lehrman Auditorium
In a provocative and
well-researched assessment, John J. Miller and Mark Molesky debunk
the myth of friendship between France and America and chronicle the
rivalries and betrayals that have marked relations between the two
countries over the course of history. Returning to America's
earliest history, the authors relate the little-known story of the
Deerfield Massacre of 1704, when a group of French and Indians
massacred settlers in northern Massachusetts. They show that the
French came to America's aid only at the end of the Revolution and
then with the interest of harming the British; and during the Civil
War, they supported the Confederacy. In the 20th Century, French
demands at the Versailles Peace Conference paved the way for the
rise of fascism in Germany and eventually required America to
rescue France during World War II. The postwar period was also rife
with disastrous actions, including Charles de Gaulle's decision to
pull out of NATO and his obstruction of American efforts to turn
back Soviet expansion. French imperialism also left troubling
legacies in Vietnam, Cambodia and even Syria and Iraq as
well.