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 execution, and Ottawa's harsh treatme