As early as 1941, the Americans planned to place France (which they assumed would soon be defeated) under a trusteeship, but the efforts of the Resistance—both within and outside the country—enabled France to join the Allied side and defeat Nazi Germany.
In the aftermath of World War II, the United States, with its vast gold reserves, dominated the International Monetary System (IMS). All currencies, including the French franc, were pegged to the dollar, which held the value of gold in the reserves of all central banks. General de Gaulle, supported by the entire French people and recognized as the leader of the Resistance, succeeded in establishing, in June 1944, the Provisional Government of the French Republic (GPRF), which he headed.
The GPRF vigorously opposed the AMGOT (Allied Military Government of the Occupied Territories), which imposed a one-year protectorate status on France. De Gaulle firmly rejected American control over the administration and the economy. U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt reluctantly recognized the GPRF on October 23, 1944.
France, whose resources had been devastated by the Nazi occupiers, found itself in a difficult industrial situation. The U.S. is attempting to infiltrate the French government, but General de Gaulle and the Communists—the direct heirs of the domestic Resistance—continue to reject any American interference, whether political or economic.
The specter of American tutelage would resurface in the immediate postwar years.
Reference:
Diatkine, Daniel, and Gayman, Jean-Marc, 1995, *History of Economic Events*, Volume 2: Growth and Crises in France from 1895 to 1974. Published by Nathan.
