Why both nations don’t loose any chance to crack jokes about other?
When this rivalry started and why?
Re: English- French rivalry
Well the rivalry goes back over a very long time... well over a thousand years.
Britian was first a major Celtic nation and then the Romans conquered it in 70BC but they stayed for a few hundred years before the last legions left and the Saxons a Germanic people moved in and occupied most of what is now England and drove the Celtic people to the very fringes of Scotland and Wales.
Now at the same time as the Saxons came to England another race of Scandinavian people, the Vikings were trying to establish themselves in Britian too for some time they were succesfull in occupying three quarters of England but the Saxons in Wessex gradually grew to push the Danes all the way out of Britian.
However some Vikings under Rolo had settled in Northern France and by 1066 under thier ruler William these Vikings, who by now called themselves Normans (Norman comes fromt he word Norsemen, IE men from the North "Scandinavia") and invaded Saxon England and this time they succeeded and have never since left.
Now the Normans under William established themselves for the long term in Britian but they never gave up thier claims to France as well hence some English Kings ruled large Swathes of France too like Richard the Lion Heart who was probably the last one who had any chance of staying in France if he had not gone on Crusades and made things worse for himself...
Anyway this was primarily the reason that for 100 years or so during the Middle Ages Britian were at war with France.
Things settled down in the Renaisance period when the Spanish Empire was at its hieght and Englands number one enemy. Then the French Revolution and Napolean who wanted to dominate all Europe.
So yeah the French English rivalry is very long... and complicated few countries have had quite so tempestous relationships.
Re: English- French rivalry
Interesting. So majority of English people are Vikings?
Re: English- French rivalry
^ Not exactly per se, whilst the Norman invaders conquered Saxon England a majority of the people they ruled were still Saxons. A bit like Muslims conquering mostly Hindu India.
Over the years Englander have become very mixed so now there are perhaps more races than ever before, its hard to tell just how many are what. Saxons themselves are Germanic per se so the majority of Englands people are non native anyway.
Re: English- French rivalry
What about French? Is there any link between the cureent population and Arabs? I remember reading 'Count of Monti cristo' a novel by Duma, and French seemed to follow some Arab traditions like not eating in enemy's house (Though, I think thats natural among all the human beings).
Re: English- French rivalry
Aah France has a long standing and jittery relationship with Arabs.
Blame Napolean for French Arabic relations. In the late 1790's Napoleon came up with this wonderful millitary plan for invading India and knocking out the British from there, he landed his Army in Egypt and was going to take the overland route to India.
The first obstacle he faced in Egypt were the Mamlukes a Turkish people who ruled over the Arab natives. The Mamluke empire attacked Napoleon several times but they had a fairly medieaval army mostly relying on cavalry which was no match for Napoleons infantry squares But Napoleon could not defeat the mamluke empire becuase the Mamlukes ruled most of Egypt and the Turkish empire strectched far across Arabia.
Napoleon could not advance further than Syria becuase his army was too small and he dare not risk a stalingrad style fight in a city or major urban area where his superior firepower could be nuetralised. So istead he returned to France, also the British were by now too strong in India becuase they had defeated the pro French Mysore and Mahratha armies.
Now Napoleon kept a even friendship with the Arabs but in general most Arabs hate the french and even the word Farangi refers to Franks.
Frankish crusaders desecrated Muslim lands in the middle ages too but the modern french arab rivalry is due to Napoleon.
Re: English- French rivalry
Interesting to know the origin of the word Farangi :D
Re: English- French rivalry
Yes Farangi is the common Asian word for Frankish people, its odd that even long after the Crusades Asians reffered to any invader as Frankish regardless of wether they were English, Spanish or Portugese... The french were probably the pioneers of colonialism as well as revolutionary activity.
Interestingly the Chinese word for Ferangi is very similar... Folang zee.
Re: English- French rivalry
at folang zee. seems a totla bacha saying farangi 
Re: English- French rivalry
Funny you say that, Chinese especially Mandarin is known as "baby" language.
Mandarin is very easy to learn you should try it sometime.
Re: English- French rivalry
Aah France has a long standing and jittery relationship with Arabs.
Blame Napolean for French Arabic relations. In the late 1790's Napoleon came up with this wonderful millitary plan for invading India and knocking out the British from there, he landed his Army in Egypt and was going to take the overland route to India.
The first obstacle he faced in Egypt were the Mamlukes a Turkish people who ruled over the Arab natives. The Mamluke empire attacked Napoleon several times but they had a fairly medieaval army mostly relying on cavalry which was no match for Napoleons infantry squares But Napoleon could not defeat the mamluke empire becuase the Mamlukes ruled most of Egypt and the Turkish empire strectched far across Arabia.
Napoleon could not advance further than Syria becuase his army was too small and he dare not risk a stalingrad style fight in a city or major urban area where his superior firepower could be nuetralised. So istead he returned to France, also the British were by now too strong in India becuase they had defeated the pro French Mysore and Mahratha armies.
Now Napoleon kept a even friendship with the Arabs but in general most Arabs hate the french and even the word Farangi refers to Franks.
Frankish crusaders desecrated Muslim lands in the middle ages too but the modern french arab rivalry is due to Napoleon.
I read that Napoleon has understanding with Tipu sultan....and they were allies against British....
Even during his egypt campaign napoleon was known as Ali bonaparte by arabs....?I read that but not sure about its authenticity...
Waise during his last moments in st.helena had two muslim servants?
Re: English- French rivalry
I also read in a novel that during French revolution there were some Arab Muslims who were trying to run away from Paris. So Paris also had Muslim population before French revolution. 
Re: English- French rivalry
Yes Napoleon supposedly had links with Tipu and was going to try and join up with the Mysore state to drive the British out of India... at leasts thats the excuse the British used to attack Mysore.
Napoleon was supposed to have converted to Islam in Syria and there is a portrait of him in Arab dress but again the details are extrememly sketchy and since he pioneered french colonialism in the mid east this is a very odd issue.
Napoleon did have at least one Ottoman Muslim servant with him almost all the time, cant remember the chaps name... aah yes Rustam. He was Napoleons personal attendant.
As for other oddities the French employed Mamluke cavalry regiments during the Napoleonic wars becuase they had been so impressive in the Asian campaign. They were at the spearhead of the French invasions into Spain and Russia and some may have been at Waterloo in small numbers.
Re: English- French rivalry
the large cities were always cosmopolitan…
Re: English- French rivalry
Well yes I think there were representatives from Muslim countries either as a diplomatic role or perhaps as citizens.
Technically speaking Paris so two revolutions and there were probably a lot more in the second "Communist revolution" than the first one.