Cannibals, Monsters and Weasels: Creating a French Enemy in the United States during the 1790s Quasi-War and the 2003 Iraq War Diplomatic Crisis
This article assesses the creation of an enemy image of France and the French in the United States in two separate historical contexts. Although France and the United States have usually enjoyed rather positive relations throughout history after the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce in 177...
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| Udgivet i: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/angles, |
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| Format: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Sprog: | Anglais |
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Angles
2020
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| Online adgang: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:angles_408 |
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| record_format |
openedition |
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OpenEdition Journal |
| language |
Anglais |
| format |
Article ou chapitre numérique |
| building |
0/Bibliothèque numérique/ 1/Bibliothèque numérique/OpenEdition Journals/ |
| topic |
stéréotypes relations États-Unis-France relations internationales Quasi-Guerre (années 1790) guerre d’Irak (2003) France stereotypes USA-France relations international relations Quasi-War (1790s) Iraq war (2003) France |
| spellingShingle |
stéréotypes relations États-Unis-France relations internationales Quasi-Guerre (années 1790) guerre d’Irak (2003) France stereotypes USA-France relations international relations Quasi-War (1790s) Iraq war (2003) France Campangne, Hervé-Thomas Cannibals, Monsters and Weasels: Creating a French Enemy in the United States during the 1790s Quasi-War and the 2003 Iraq War Diplomatic Crisis |
| description |
This article assesses the creation of an enemy image of France and the French in the United States in two separate historical contexts. Although France and the United States have usually enjoyed rather positive relations throughout history after the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce in 1778, the French were widely depicted as America’s enemy during the late 1790s Quasi-War, and more recently after France refused to support U.S. military intervention in Iraq in 2003-2004. In the first instance, an undeclared naval war opposed the two countries as the French government allowed for seizure of American ships in the wake of the 1795 Jay Treaty the US had signed with Great Britain, a conflict which escalated when U.S. navy later began to fight the French in the Caribbean. In 2003-2004, an acute diplomatic crisis induced a confrontation between the two nations when France suggested it would use its veto power to block passage of a United Nations Security Council resolution authorizing a U.S.- led military operation against Iraq. The aim of this study is to provide an understanding of the process through which the image of France was transformed, in both historical contexts, from that of ally and friend into that of a threatening other. Particular attention is paid to the creation and use of cultural stereotypes in statements by American officials, as well as in the media campaigns that characterized both diplomatic crises. Although the enemy image of France underwent significant changes between 1797 and 2003, our research shows that a number of cultural stereotypes that were created during the Quasi-War were revived during the 2003 diplomatic crisis. Chief amongst those is the association of France with terror and tyranny. This article also examines the deep political divisions that pitted Federalists against Republicans in the 1790s, and Neo-Conservative “hawks” against anti-war “doves” in 2003. These disputes shed light on the creation of enemy images of France in the United States. In both cases, the French antagonist was as mirror and a scapegoat that provides as much information on American identity and U.S. political debates as it does about American views on France and the French. |
| author |
Campangne, Hervé-Thomas |
| author_facet |
Campangne, Hervé-Thomas |
| author_sort |
Campangne, Hervé-Thomas |
| title |
Cannibals, Monsters and Weasels: Creating a French Enemy in the United States during the 1790s Quasi-War and the 2003 Iraq War Diplomatic Crisis |
| title_short |
Cannibals, Monsters and Weasels: Creating a French Enemy in the United States during the 1790s Quasi-War and the 2003 Iraq War Diplomatic Crisis |
| title_full |
Cannibals, Monsters and Weasels: Creating a French Enemy in the United States during the 1790s Quasi-War and the 2003 Iraq War Diplomatic Crisis |
| title_fullStr |
Cannibals, Monsters and Weasels: Creating a French Enemy in the United States during the 1790s Quasi-War and the 2003 Iraq War Diplomatic Crisis |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Cannibals, Monsters and Weasels: Creating a French Enemy in the United States during the 1790s Quasi-War and the 2003 Iraq War Diplomatic Crisis |
| title_sort |
cannibals, monsters and weasels: creating a french enemy in the united states during the 1790s quasi-war and the 2003 iraq war diplomatic crisis |
| publisher |
Angles |
| publishDate |
2020 |
| container_title |
URI:https://journals.openedition.org/angles |
| url |
https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://doi.org/10.4000/angles.408 https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://journals.openedition.org/angles/408 |
| _version_ |
1877293947771944960 |
| spelling |
openedition-oai:revues.org:angles_408 https://doi.org/10.4000/angles.408 urn:doi:10.4000/angles.408 en https://journals.openedition.org/angles/408 2020-07-16T02:00:00Z info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article info:eu-repo/semantics/article urn:handle:20.500.13089/9mye https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Cannibals, Monsters and Weasels: Creating a French Enemy in the United States during the 1790s Quasi-War and the 2003 Iraq War Diplomatic Crisis Angles Société des Anglicistes de l'Enseignement Supérieur info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/2274-2042 URI:https://journals.openedition.org/angles Campangne, Hervé-Thomas stéréotypes relations États-Unis-France relations internationales Quasi-Guerre (années 1790) guerre d’Irak (2003) France stereotypes USA-France relations international relations Quasi-War (1790s) Iraq war (2003) France This article assesses the creation of an enemy image of France and the French in the United States in two separate historical contexts. Although France and the United States have usually enjoyed rather positive relations throughout history after the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce in 1778, the French were widely depicted as America’s enemy during the late 1790s Quasi-War, and more recently after France refused to support U.S. military intervention in Iraq in 2003-2004. In the first instance, an undeclared naval war opposed the two countries as the French government allowed for seizure of American ships in the wake of the 1795 Jay Treaty the US had signed with Great Britain, a conflict which escalated when U.S. navy later began to fight the French in the Caribbean. In 2003-2004, an acute diplomatic crisis induced a confrontation between the two nations when France suggested it would use its veto power to block passage of a United Nations Security Council resolution authorizing a U.S.- led military operation against Iraq. The aim of this study is to provide an understanding of the process through which the image of France was transformed, in both historical contexts, from that of ally and friend into that of a threatening other. Particular attention is paid to the creation and use of cultural stereotypes in statements by American officials, as well as in the media campaigns that characterized both diplomatic crises. Although the enemy image of France underwent significant changes between 1797 and 2003, our research shows that a number of cultural stereotypes that were created during the Quasi-War were revived during the 2003 diplomatic crisis. Chief amongst those is the association of France with terror and tyranny. This article also examines the deep political divisions that pitted Federalists against Republicans in the 1790s, and Neo-Conservative “hawks” against anti-war “doves” in 2003. These disputes shed light on the creation of enemy images of France in the United States. In both cases, the French antagonist was as mirror and a scapegoat that provides as much information on American identity and U.S. political debates as it does about American views on France and the French. Cet article a pour objet d’apporter un éclairage sur la création de l’image d’un « ennemi français » dans deux contextes historiques distincts. Si les relations entre la France et les États-Unis ont généralement été cordiales depuis la signature du Traité d’Amitié et de Commerce de 1778, les Américains ont souvent décrit les Français comme leurs ennemis pendant la Quasi-Guerre des années 1790, et plus récemment, lors de la crise diplomatique déclenchée en 2003 par l’intervention des États-Unis en Irak. Dans le premier cas, une guerre navale non déclarée a opposé les deux nations après la signature du Traité de Londres entre Anglais et Américains en 1795: suite à cet accord, le Directorat avait autorisé l’arraisonnement de navire marchands américains, provoquant un conflit qui s’étendit rapidement aux Antilles. En 2003-2004, une grave crise diplomatique a provoqué une confrontation entre les deux nations au moment où la France a menacé d’utiliser son droit de véto au Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU contre une résolution américaine qui aurait autorisé une opération militaire en Irak. Nous avons voulu comprendre le processus par lequel l’image de la France est passée de celle de pays allié des États-Unis à celle de nation hostile et menaçante. Dans cette optique, nous analysons l’usage de stéréotypes culturels dans les discours officiels de responsables américains, ainsi que dans les campagnes médiatiques qui ont marqué les deux crises. Bien que l’image d’un « ennemi français » ait subi d’importantes métamorphoses entre 1797 et 2003, nous constatons que plusieurs stéréotypes créés au moment de la Quasi-Guerre ont été réactivés lors de la crise diplomatique de 2003. L’image d’une France amie de la terreur et de la tyrannie ressort tout particulièrement des discours et des représentations étudiées. Les profondes rivalités politiques entre Fédéralistes et Républicains pendant la Quasi-Guerre, puis entre « faucons » néo-conservateurs et « colombes » opposées à la guerre en 2003, ont également retenu notre attention. Ces querelles éclairent la création d’images d’une « France ennemie » : dans les deux cas, l’antagoniste français a joué un double rôle de miroir et de victime sacrificielle. Ces deux fonctions sont tout aussi révélatrices de l’identité et de la politique américaines que de la manière dont les Américains perçoivent la France et les Français. |