What were the reasons for the bad relations between the Callies family and De Gaulles government?
The main shareholders of Compagnie des Machines Bull were the Callies family relative of Michelin family. They were secretive and very reluctant to any government intervention in their business. So, they essentially ignore the needs of the military agencies in the 1950s and let that market to SEA. In addition, Bull had continued its activities in 1940-1944 under Vichy regime and German occupation, and although several actions inside the Company were directed against Germans, they were, of course, not made under Gaullist allegiance. Later, a significant part of CMB management was coming from French Navy’s officers who have been sacked as hostile to Gaullists. So, when Joseph Callies faced a financial crisis in the 1960s, he had less credits to request favors for the government of Charles De Gaulle. .
