English and French Relations in the 20th Century In the 20th Century, the relationship between English and French in Canada has deteriorated. French-English relations were already suffering and continued to do so before World War I. The two world wars and the depression years strained relations greatly. In the post-war years, the Quebecois began to organize, and in some cases, rebelled. The product of these events is a country, threatened with division. Relations before the turn of the century were already strained, and suffered more before World War I. On the heels of the Louis Riel e