The Auld Alliance and relationships between Scotland and France

Résumé du document

The Old Alliance between Scotland and France, better known under the name of the 'Auld Alliance', is unique in the history of the two nations as it doesn't have an equivalent in terms of duration or intensity. This alliance is the source of the Franco-Scottish connection from 1295 to 1746. Primarily, it was a military and diplomatic alliance, but most of the population benefited from this situation in a cultural context, and thus shows how several centuries of contact have shaped the development of the two countries. In his famous speech made in Edinburgh on the 23rd of June 1942, General de Gaulle spoke of the Auld Alliance in these terms, 'over the last five centuries, whenever the destiny of France was in the balance, Scots were always there to fight alongside their French ally'. Behind this speech, hides long periods of war which united the two countries against their common enemy, England. And as an old political commentator said, "Stand well with your neighbour, but better with your neighbour's neighbour". This approach reflects the aim of the alliance, based on a treaty which allowed that if one of the two states was attacked by England, the other would invade England.

Extraits

[...] For a long time, France and Scotland have had profound links which unite them. The several twined towns between the two nations testify to this unity. According to recent statistics established by the London based Local Government International Bureau, there were 57 Franco-Scottish twinnings in May 1995[8]. Among them, Edinburgh is twined with Nice, a city in the South of France. Another element of this unity is the existence of associations such as the Franco Scottish Society and the Association Franco-Ecossaise. [...]

[...] After the Reformation, the Auld Alliance was stopped between Protestant Scotland and Catholic France, but the trade in claret continued, and all the more since when we know that trade, especially of wine, plays a role into political change and alliances. In return of the imports, Scotland exported fish, coarse cloth, wool and skins[7]. This alliance has been not only of a business character but also of a cultural character. Scottish students came to the French universities such as Paris, Orléans, Bourges and first Scottish universities, Saint Andrew and Aberdeen were modelled on them. [...]

[...] The Auld Alliance gave rise to economic and commercial relationships. In 1993, France was the biggest importer of Scottish products after Germany. The French market share of all importations in the world was [10]. The close relation that Scotland had with France permitted them to enter into European trade in order to export firstly computers, and then whisky, electronics, food and drinks, and chemical products. On the other hand, French industry took part in the Scottish people's way of life. [...]

[...] Nonetheless, some points of the treaty were kept in application, like the dual nationality for Scots until its revocation by the French government in 1903. The Auld Alliance was not a simply military alliance. Indeed, oldest alliance in the world” according to De Gaulle, guaranteed the double nationality between the two states. This point is very important, because it changed the life of Scottish people in different areas: architecture, law, language, cooking, due to the Scottish mercenaries who could serve for France. One of the most valuable privileges that Scotland obtained from France was in the area of wine imports. [...]

[...] In France, it is commemorated in Saint-Germain-en-Laye and in Aubigny-sur-Nère where a museum is devoted to the alliance and where Franco-Scottish parties take place every year. The Auld Alliance is full of history. Scotland. France and England are at the source of this history, which creates an intense link between France and Scotland, so much so that people from these countries enjoyed the dual nationality. Today, this famous alliance is more known by Scottish people than French people. For some of them, it remains one of the signs of their national identity, differentiating them from the English. [...]