a good dose of irony and sarcasm (that was part of the "we'll make you a WW2 winner even though you thoroughly lost because you're such a frustrated whiner and I want it to stop" package, thanks FDR!)
It's rather ungrateful to thank Roosevelt for this... that guy has made everything in order to recognize Vichy France as the only France.
The guy who has to be recognized for this is British, and is named Winston Churchill. He's the guy who had to bear the tall Charles and his whinings. Actually, considering that the US forces made everything to put a puppet named Giraud at the head of a France renamed AMGOT (Allied Military Government of Occupied Territories), we can even say that the only guy to thank for all this is De Gaulle himself, and no one else.
No one, not even Churchill, has authorized de Gaulle to take power in France in 1944. De Gaulle did it by himself, and US troops were close to oppose his unilateral move. The only reason why they didn't was that they had to beat a fiercer guy in the neighbouring country, and this faster than another fierce guy coming from the East. As such, they had no time to lose in fighting guerilla warfare against the French resistance.
Actually Masquerouge, what I say is fully right, and the simple fact some doubt it proves exactly how desillusionned French people are, proving how accurate you were.
Personally, I'm not completely desillusionned to be frank. Granted, the country is in bad shape economically speaking, but I'm still proud of what France represents. That doesn't mean I despise any other country, every countries have their proper specificities, no country is like another. France is a country which isn't based on an ethnicity but on a universal conception of citizenship. You may believe those words are empty, but they are actually full of meaning.
The French cancan, oh so typical, has been composed by Jacob Offenbach, a Jewish German naturalised French. Josephine Baker, who is ridiculously and cynically summarized to bananas, was the first world famous black singer, and it's in Paris where she has made her whole carreer. She's been naturalized French in 1937, at a time when France was the only country to allow weddings between black and white people. Blaise Diagne was the first black member of the French parliament, and has been elected there as early as in 1914. His son, Raoul Diagne, was the first black football player to join the French national team, and this happened as early as in 1931, at a time when Brazilian black players had to paint their skin in white in order to play in their own league.
Leon Blum, Jewish, was leading France at a time when Hitler was leading Germany. Edith Piaf, most worldwide known French female performer, had Italian and Kabyle ancestry ; Charles Aznavour, most worldwide known French male performer, had Armenian ancestry. Who are the French scientist we should be the most proud of ? Georges Charpak ? Marie Curie ? They have both Polish roots. Who are the best sportsmen we should be proud of ? Alain Prost, Zinedine Zidane, Alain Mimoun, Yannick Noah, Michel Platini, Raymond Kopa ? They have all foreign ancestries. Who are the painters who made of Paris the capital of the Arts in the early 20th century ? Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, Wassily Kandinsky or later Salvador Dali ? All foreign born, all have died in France.
Of course all this is old, some of them became famous even during the 19th century, but that's exactly the reason why they are so meaningful. At the opposite of most European countries, France hasn't experienced a real demographic booming during the 19th century and early 20th century. While citizens of other European countries were leaving their country, France was already massively welcoming immigrants. This is undoubtedly a curiousity for a country of the old continent.
The right-wing candidate for the upcoming French presidential election, Nicolas Sarkozy, has Hungarian roots from his father and Jewish Greek roots from his mother. Despite this, some in the left wing compare him with fascists, and this without even blinking. Where else could this happen ?
When Jacques Chirac declared yesterday his love for France in all its diversity, this had a real meaning. The fact that France is rich of its diversity is not empty words, this is based on our own History.
Of course, French History is tarnished by far darker eras of its History : the collaboration during the Nazi occupation, the fact that French people wanted a French Algeria while refusing the French citizenship to Algerian natives during the 50's, the rise of Le Pen as a dark ghost who dedicated his life to destroy what the tricolore flag represents. Don't count on me to belittle this. This however won't make me forget who I am, and what are my values. I am Parisian, foreign born and raised in a school where a large majority of kids had foreign roots. My life is here, in that wonderful city, and even if I may leave it for a while because of professional reasons my soul will remain here, besides the one of those who made that city, who made my city.
, compare it to Wyoming or whatever...)
)
It's actual name was "Tara Romaneasca", which means "The Romanian Country" 
