July 24, 1967: President Charles de Gaulle of France touches off an international incident, by supporting the independence of Quebec.
Canada celebrated its 100th Anniversary of independence with a World's Fair in Montreal, Expo '67. As part of the diplomatic protocols, de Gaulle and all world leaders whose countries had an exhibit at the fair were invited to visit Canada during the Fair. A few months later, de Gaulle was also sent a separate invitation to visit Quebec by Daniel Johnson, the Premier of Quebec (equivalent to the Governor of a U.S. State).
de Gaulle, as a visiting head of state, should have arrived in the Canadian capital of Ottawa, as would be conventional protocol. But, as de Gaulle, he did as he pleased. So he took the time to sail on the French Navy's Mediterranean flagship, the cruiser Colbert, so that he could arrive in Quebec City, the capital city of the Province of Quebec.
There, he was cheered enthusiastically, while the new Governor-General (standing in for the head of state for Canada, the British monarch), Roland Michener, was booed by the same crowd when the viceregal salute was played at his arrival. In his speech, de Gaulle spoke of his country's "evolving" ties with Quebec, hinting at his support for Quebec sovereignty.
On July 15, he confided to his son-in-law, General Alain de Boissieu, "I am going to strike a strong blow. Things are going to get hot. But it is necessary. It is the last chance to rectify the cowardice of France."
On July 24, de Gaulle arrived in Montreal, and was driven up the Chemin du Roy to Montreal City Hall, where Premier Johnson and Mayor Jean Drapeau waited. de Gaulle was not scheduled to speak that evening, but the crowd chanted for him. He told Drapeau, "I have to speak to those people who are calling for me." According to a number of personal interviews with high-ranking French officials, as well as documents he uncovered, scholar Dale C. Thomson wrote that de Gaulle's statement was planned, and that he used it when the opportunity presented itself.
de Gaulle stepped out onto the balcony to give a short address to the assembled masses, which was also broadcast live on radio. In his speech, he commented that his drive down the banks of the St. Lawrence River, lined as it had been with cheering crowds, reminded him of his triumphant return to Paris after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944.
The speech appeared to conclude with the words "Vive Montréal! Vive le Québec!" ("Long live Montreal! Long live Quebec!"), but he then added, "Vive le Québec libre! Vive, vive, vive le Canada Français! Et vive la France!" ("Long live free Quebec! Long live, long live, long live French Canada! And long live France!"). The crowd roared with approval.
This statement, coming from the French head of state, was considered a serious breach of diplomatic protocol. It emboldened the Quebec sovereignty movement, and produced tensions between the leadership of the 2 countries. The crowd's reaction to de Gaulle's phrase was emotional, and it sparked controversy with many English Canadians afterwards, as they were outraged at the implied threat to Canada's territorial integrity.
Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson rebuked de Gaulle with an official statement, delivered to the French Embassy on July 25, and read on national television that evening. He said, "The people of Canada are free. Every Province in Canada is free. Canadians do not need to be liberated. Indeed, many thousands of Canadians gave their lives in two world wars in the liberation of France and other European countries."
A media and diplomatic uproar ensued thereafter, which resulted in de Gaulle cutting his visit to Canada short. The day after the speech, de Gaulle visited Expo 67, and hosted a banquet at the French Pavilion. On July 26, instead of continuing his visit on to Ottawa, where he was scheduled to meet with Pearson, he decided to return to France on a French military jet.
The newly appointed Canadian Minister of Justice, Pierre Trudeau, publicly wondered what the French reaction would have been if a Canadian Prime Minister shouted, "Brittany to the Bretons." From then on, de Gaulle remained unimpressed by Trudeau, saying, "We have not one concession, nor even any courtesy, to extend to Mr. Trudeau, who is the adversary of the 'French fact' in Canada." de Gaulle was also heavily criticized by a large part of the French media for his breach of international protocol, in particular by the national newspaper, Le Monde (The World).
Meanwhile, to members of the Quebec sovereignty movement, the speech was viewed as a watershed moment. Occurring soon after the Quiet Revolution, and taking into account the low economic and political state of French Canadians at the time, the support of a foreign head of state seemed to add credibility to the movement in the eyes of many, including future Quebec Premier René Lévesque.
de Gaulle was 76 years old. He had been France's head of state, on and off, for 27 years. As much as any person alive, he should have known better. What the hell was he thinking?
On the flight home from Montreal, de Gaulle told René de Saint-Légier de la Saussaye, his diplomatic counsellor, that the event was "a historical phenomenon that was perhaps foreseeable but it took a form that only the situation itself could determine. Of course, like many others I could have got away with a few polite remarks or diplomatic acrobatics, but when one is General de Gaulle, one does not have recourse to such expedients. What I did, I had to do it."
One theory is that he wanted a French Commonwealth, nations connected through their use of the French language, historical-cultural ties, and shared values. He may have wanted this as not merely a parallel to the British Commonwealth, to which Canada belonged (and still does), but as a rival to it.
If that was true, then he seriously miscalculated. If the Quebec sovereignty movement has proven anything, it's that they don't want an outside governing body telling them what to do. If they wouldn't accept one in Ottawa doing that, one which was, at least, on the same continent, they certainly wouldn't accept one in Paris, all the way across the Atlantic Ocean.
Quebec has held 2 sovereignty referendums. The one in 1980 was solidly rejected. The one in 1995 was rejected by a very narrow margin.
In 1968, Montreal was awarded an expansion franchise by Major League Baseball. It was named for the World's Fair: The Montreal Expos. They debuted in 1969, but were moved to Washington, D.C. after the 2004 season.
*
July 24, 1967 was a Monday. There were 3 Major League Baseball games played that day:
* The Chicago Cubs beat their arch-rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-1 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Ernie Banks went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.
* The Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 2-1 at the Astrodome in Houston. Mike Cuellar pitched 11 innings, and then was singled home by Jimmy Wynn in the bottom of the 11th inning to win the game.
* And the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Jim Lefebvre singled Dick Schofield home with the winning run in the bottom of the 9th. Roberto Clemente went 3-for-5 with an RBI.
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