Liberation of Paris Part of World War II, Battle of Normandy Crowds of French line the Champs Elysees to view Free French 2e DB tanks and half tracks pass before the Arc de Triomphe on 25 August 1944. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The 2nd Armored Division (2e Division Blindée 2e DB commanded by General Leclerc, fought during the final phases of World War II in the Western Front The M2 Half Track Car was an armoured vehicle used by the United States during World War II. The Arc de Triomphe is a monument in Paris, France that stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle also known as the Place de l'Étoile. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Date 19 August 1944 – 25 August 1944 Location Paris, France Result Decisive Free French victory Belligerents Free French Forces Germany Commanders Philippe Leclerc Raymond Dronne Henri Rol-Tanguy Jacques Chaban-Delmas Dietrich von Choltitz # Strength 2nd Armoured Division, French resistance 5,000 Inside Paris, 15,000 At outskirts Casualties and losses 1,500 dead French resistance 71 dead, 225 wounded Free French Forces[1] 3,200 dead, 12,800 POW

The Liberation of Paris (also known as Battle for Paris) took place during World War II from 19 August 1944 until the surrender of the occupying German garrison on the 25th. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Free French Forces (Forces Françaises Libres FFL) were French fighters in World War II who decided to continue fighting against Axis forces Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque ( November 22, 1902 – November 28, 1947) was a French general during World War II Capitaine Raymond Dronne (Mayet (France 8 March 1908 - Paris 5 September 1991 French civil servant and following World War II a politician Henri Rol-Tanguy (1908&ndash2002 was a French Communist and leader in the French Resistance. Jacques Chaban-Delmas (7 March 1915&ndash10 November 2000 was a French Gaullist politician General der Infanterie Dietrich von Choltitz ( 9 November 1894, Schloss Wiese, Silesia - 4 November 1966 Surrender is when Soldiers, nations or other combatants stop fighting and become Prisoners of war, either as The 2nd Armored Division (2e Division Blindée 2e DB commanded by General Leclerc, fought during the final phases of World War II in the Western Front The French Resistance is the collective name used for the French Resistance movements which fought against the Nazi German The French Resistance is the collective name used for the French Resistance movements which fought against the Nazi German The Free French Forces (Forces Françaises Libres FFL) were French fighters in World War II who decided to continue fighting against Axis forces World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The capital of France had been administered by Nazi Germany since the Second Compiègne armistice in June 1940, when the Vichy puppet regime was established with its capital in the central city of Vichy. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The Second Armistice at Compiègne was signed at 1850 on 22 June 1940 near Compiègne, in the department of Oise, between Nazi Germany Vichy France, or the Vichy regime are the common terms used to describe the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944 A puppet state is a State that is nominally independent but in reality under the control of another power Vichy ( Occitan: Vichèi) is a commune in the department of Allier in Auvergne in central France.

The liberation was an uprising by the French Resistance against the German Paris garrison. The French Resistance is the collective name used for the French Resistance movements which fought against the Nazi German Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city On 24 and 25 August, the FFI resistants received backup from the Free French Army of Liberation and the uprising evolved to urban warfare with the use of barricades, submachine guns, and tanks firing against Nazi and Milice snipers until the German surrender on 25 August. The French Forces of the Interior (Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur refers to French resistance fighters in the latter stages of World War II. The Free French Forces (Forces Françaises Libres FFL) were French fighters in World War II who decided to continue fighting against Axis forces The Milice Française ( French Militia) generally called simply Milice (" Militia " was a Paramilitary force Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the

This battle marked the end of Operation Overlord, the liberation of France by the Allies, the restoration of the French Republic and the exile of the Vichy government to Sigmaringen in Germany. The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Sigmaringen is a Town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg.

Background

Further information: Operation Overlord

Allied strategy emphasized destroying German forces retreating towards the Rhine, when the French Resistance (FFI) under Henri Rol-Tanguy staged an uprising in the French capital. Operation Overlord was the code name for the invasion of northwest Europe during World War II by Allied forces The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge The French Resistance is the collective name used for the French Resistance movements which fought against the Nazi German The French Forces of the Interior (Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur refers to French resistance fighters in the latter stages of World War II. Henri Rol-Tanguy (1908&ndash2002 was a French Communist and leader in the French Resistance. Supreme Allied Commander Eisenhower did not consider Paris as a primary objective; instead, American and British Allies wanted to enter Berlin before the Soviet Union's army and put an end to the conflict. Supreme Allied Commander is the title held by the most senior commander within certain multinational military alliances Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14 1890 – March 28 1969 was President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a five-star general The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 ^[2] Moreover Eisenhower thought it too early for a battle in Paris; he wanted to prevent another battle of Stalingrad, and knew that Hitler had given orders to destroy Paris. The Battle of Stalingrad is a commonly used name in English sources for several large operations by Germany and its allies and Soviet forces conducted with the Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately In a siege, it was estimated 4,000 tons of food per day would be needed to supply the Parisians, plus effort to restore vital infrastructure including transport and energy supply. Such a task would require time and entire Allied divisions. ^[3]

However, Charles de Gaulle negotiated with the Allies, threatening to send his Free French 2nd Armored Division (2ème DB) into Paris single-handedly to prevent the uprising being quelled as had happened earlier in Warsaw. Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle ( ( 22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French General and statesman who led the Free French The Warsaw Uprising ( Powstanie Warszawskie) was a World War II struggle by the Polish Home Army ( Armia Krajowa) to liberate Warsaw (On 1 August, the Red Army reached the outskirts of the Polish capital but did not intervene to support the local resistance Home Army that was forced to surrender to the Nazis; the city ended up being razed. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya ) Eventually Eisenhower agreed to send backup.

On 24 August, delayed by combat and poor roads, Free French General Leclerc, commander of the 2nd Armored Division disobeyed his superior U. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River The Free French Forces (Forces Françaises Libres FFL) were French fighters in World War II who decided to continue fighting against Axis forces S. field commander general Omar Bradley and sent a vanguard (la colonne Dronne) to Paris, with the message that the entire division would be there the following day. Omar Nelson Bradley KCB ( February 12, 1893 &ndash April 8, 1981) was one of the main U Bradley reportedly said "OK, Leclerc, run into Paris. . . ". The vanguard column of M4 Sherman tanks, M2 half-track and GMC trucks was commanded by Captain Raymond Dronne, who became the first uniformed Allied liberating officer to enter Paris. World War II foreign variants and use Lend-Lease Sherman tanks. The M2 Half Track Car was an armoured vehicle used by the United States during World War II. Capitaine Raymond Dronne (Mayet (France 8 March 1908 - Paris 5 September 1991 French civil servant and following World War II a politician

Events timeline

General strike (15–18 August)

On 15 August, in Pantin (the North-East suburb of Paris from where the Germans entered the capital back in June 1940), 2,200 men and 400 women—all political prisoners—were sent to the Buchenwald camp on the last convoy to Germany. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Pantin is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. Buchenwald concentration camp (German Konzentrationslager or 'KZ' Buchenwald) was a Nazi concentration camp established on the Ettersberg (Etter Mountain near ^[4][5]

With the Free French rapidly advancing on Paris, the Paris Métro, Gendarmerie and Police went on strike the same day, followed by postal workers on 16 August. The Free French Forces (Forces Françaises Libres FFL) were French fighters in World War II who decided to continue fighting against Axis forces Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city See Gendarmerie for similar forces in other countries In France, the National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale is the national Organizations Agencies France has two national general-purpose law enforcement agencies: the Police Nationale (civilian force Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting They were joined by workers across the city when a general strike broke out on 18 August, the day on which all Parisians were ordered to mobilize by the French Forces of the Interior. A general strike is a Strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city region or country Events 293 BC - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica. The French Forces of the Interior (Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur refers to French resistance fighters in the latter stages of World War II.

On 16 August, 35 young FFI resistants were betrayed by a Vichist agent of the Gestapo. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting The ( contraction of ge heime Sta ats' po' lizei: "Secret State Police" was the official Secret police of Nazi Germany They went to a rendez-vous in the Bois de Boulogne, near the waterfall, and were executed by the Germans. The Bois de Boulogne is a park located along the western edge of the 16ème arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt. They were machine-gunned and then finished off using grenades. ^[6]

On 17 August, concerned that explosives were being placed at strategic points around Paris by the Germans, chairman of the municipal council of Paris Pierre Taittinger met the German military governor of Gross Paris and commander of the Paris garrison, general Dietrich von Choltitz. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Pierre-Charles Taittinger ( October 4, 1887 &ndash January 22, 1965) was founder of the famous Taittinger champagne house and chairman General der Infanterie Dietrich von Choltitz ( 9 November 1894, Schloss Wiese, Silesia - 4 November 1966 ^[7] On being told that Choltitz intended to slow up as much as possible the Allied advance, Taittinger, along with the general consul of Sweden Raoul Nordling, attempted to persuade Choltitz not to destroy Paris. Consul (abbrev cos; Latin plural consules) was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. ^[8]

FFI uprising (19–23 August)

Further information: French Forces of the Interior

Some German light tanks (originally French) are captured and used against the enemy, 19 August. The French Forces of the Interior (Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur refers to French resistance fighters in the latter stages of World War II. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul.

On 19 August, columns of German military tanks, half-tracks, trucks dragging a trailer and cars loaded with troops and material moved down the Champs Elysees. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. The rumor of the Allies advance toward Paris was growing.

The streets were deserted following the German retreat, when suddenly the first skirmishes between Resistants and the German occupiers started. Spontaneously some people went out in the streets and some FFI resistants posted propaganda posters on the walls. The French Forces of the Interior (Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur refers to French resistance fighters in the latter stages of World War II. These posters focused on a general mobilization order, arguing "the war continues", with a call to the Parisian police, the Republican Guard, the Gendarmerie, the Gardes Mobiles, the G. The Republican Guard (Garde républicaine is the Ceremonial unit of the French Gendarmerie. A gendarmerie or gendarmery (dʒɛnˈdɑrməriː or /ˌʒɑndɑrməˈriː/ after the French is a Military body charged with Police duties among civilian M. R. (Groupe Mobile de Réserve, the police units replacing the army), the jailkeepers, the patriotic French, "all men from 18 to 50 able to carry a weapon" to join "the struggle against the invader". Other posters were ensuring "the victory is near" and a "chastisement for the traitors", i. e. the Vichy loyalists. The posters were signed by the "Parisian Committee of the Liberation" in agreement with the Provisional Government of the French Republic and under the orders of "Regional Chief Colonel Rol", aka Henri Rol-Tanguy, commander of the French Forces of the Interior. The Provisional Government of the French Republic ( gouvernement provisoire de la République française or GPRF was an interim government which governed Henri Rol-Tanguy (1908&ndash2002 was a French Communist and leader in the French Resistance. The French Forces of the Interior (Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur refers to French resistance fighters in the latter stages of World War II.

As the battle raged, some small mobile units of Red Cross moved in the city to assist French and German injured. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an International humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers worldwide who stated Later this day three French Resistants were executed by the Germans.

FFI and Free Republic of Vercors marked captured truck. The French Forces of the Interior (Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur refers to French resistance fighters in the latter stages of World War II. The Massif du Vercors is a prominent scenic plateau region in the French Départements of Isère and Drôme in Eastern France.

The same day in Pantin, a barge filled with mines exploded and destroyed the Great Windmills. A naval mine is a self-contained Explosive device placed in water to destroy Ships or Submarines Unlike Depth charges mines are deposited ^[9]

Resistants standing behind a barricade, 20 August

On 20 August, barricades began to appear and resistants organized themselves to hold a siege. Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine A barricade is any object or structure that creates a barrier or obstacle to control block passage or force the flow of Traffic in the desired direction Trucks were deposed, trees cut and trenches dug in the pavement to tear the paving stones used to consolidate the barricades. These materials were transported by men, women, children and old people using wooden carts. Fuel trucks were attacked and captured, other civilian vehicles like the Citroën Traction Avant sedan captured, painted with camouflage and marked with the FFI emblem. Citroën (pronounced See-Troh-Enn is a French Automobile manufacturer, founded in 1919 by André Citroën. The Citroën Traction Avant was an Automobile produced by the French manufacturer Citroën. The Resistance would use them to transport ammunitions and orders from a barricade to another.

The Fort de Romainville, a German internment camp where several men and women, then only female resistants were jailed or executed since October 1940, was liberated with many corpses still abandoned in its yard.

Some FFI firing during a skirmish, one of them wears the French Army traditional Adrian helmet, 19 August

A temporary ceasefire was managed between General Dietrich von Choltitz commander of the Paris garrison and a part of the French Resistance with Raoul Nordling (consul general in Paris) as mediator. The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre (Land Army is the land-based component of the French Armed Forces and its largest The M15 Adrian helmet (Casque Adrian was a Combat helmet issued to the French Army during World War I. General der Infanterie Dietrich von Choltitz ( 9 November 1894, Schloss Wiese, Silesia - 4 November 1966 Both sides needed time, the Germans wanted to strengthen their weak garrison with front-line troops and Resistance leaders wanted to strengthen their positions in view to a battle (resistance lacked ammunition for any prolonged fight).

Garrison hold most of the main monuments and some strongpoints, resistance most of the city. Germans lacked numbers to go on the offensive and resistance lacked heavy weapons to attack those strongpoints.

Skirmishes reached their height on the 22nd when some Germans units tried to leave their strongpoints. On 23 August 9:00AM under von Choltitz' orders, the Germans burned the Grand Palais then an FFI stronghold and panzers fired against the barricades in the streets. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire The Grand Palais ("Grand Palace" is a large glass Exhibition hall that was built for the Paris Exhibition of 1900. A panzer, pronunced, is a German Tank, especially in the context of World War II. Hitler gave the order to bring the maximum damage in the city. ^[10]

It is estimated that around 1,500 resistance members and civilians were killed during the battle for Paris. The French Resistance is the collective name used for the French Resistance movements which fought against the Nazi German

Entrance of the 2nd Armored Division (24–25 August)

Further information: 2nd Armored Division (France)

On 24 August, 35 resistants were executed near the Bois de Boulogne's waterfall. The 2nd Armored Division (2e Division Blindée 2e DB commanded by General Leclerc, fought during the final phases of World War II in the Western Front Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River The Bois de Boulogne is a park located along the western edge of the 16ème arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt. ^[11] There was fighting in Aubervilliers. Aubervilliers is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. Later this day, the 2nd Armored Division's vanguard commanded by Captain Dronne entered Paris and moved to the city hall (Hôtel de Ville). Capitaine Raymond Dronne (Mayet (France 8 March 1908 - Paris 5 September 1991 French civil servant and following World War II a politician A city hall or town hall is the chief administrative building of a City or Town 's administration and usually houses the city or

The following day, Leclerc and the rest of the division were in Paris. Leclerc planned the final operation, and fighting ensued in Montreuil. Montreuil is the name or part of the name of several communes of France: Montreuil Eure-et-Loir, in the Eure-et-Loir département

In Pantin, where the liberation battle also took place, remnant Germans escaped to the East through the road for Meaux. Meaux is a commune of Seine-et-Marne, in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. ^[12]

The battle cost the Free French 2nd Armored Division 71 KIA, 225 wounded, 35 tanks, 6 self-propelled guns, and 111 vehicles, which is "a rather high ratio of losses for an armoured division" according to historian Jacques Mordal. ^[13]

French ultimatum (25 August)

On 25 August, at 10:30AM, General Pierre Billotte, commander of the First French Armored Brigade (the 2nd Armored Division's tactical group), sent an ultimatum to von Choltitz. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the An ultimatum (the last one is a Demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a threat to be followed through in case Raoul Nordling played the role of mediator and delivered the message.

German surrender (25 August)

Despite repeated orders from Hitler that the French capital "must not fall into the enemy's hand except lying in complete debris" by bombing it and exploding its bridges, (hence the question "Is Paris Burning?", which became the title of both a German 1950 memoir^[14], German General Dietrich von Choltitz, the commander of the Paris garrison and military governor of Paris surrendered, on 25 August, at the Hotel Meurice, newly established headquarters of General Leclerc. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Is Paris Burning? (French Paris brûle-t-il?) is a 1966 Franco - American film dealing with the 1944 Liberation for other uses see Memoir (disambiguation As a literary Genre, a memoir (from the French: mémoire General der Infanterie Dietrich von Choltitz ( 9 November 1894, Schloss Wiese, Silesia - 4 November 1966 Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Le Meurice is a hotel in Paris located on the Rue de Rivoli. (228 rue de Rivoli 75001 Paris France Presently a member of the Dorchester Collection hotels, Von Choltitz was kept prisoner until April 1947. In his memoir . . . Brennt Paris? ("Is Paris Burning?"), first published in 1950, von Choltitz describes himself as the saviour of Paris.

On 19 August Three resistants were executed by the Germans. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul.

On 23 August The Grand Palais is set on fire. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire The Grand Palais ("Grand Palace" is a large glass Exhibition hall that was built for the Paris Exhibition of 1900.

There is a controversy about von Choltitz's actual role during the battle since he is regarded a totally different way in France and Germany. In Germany, he is regarded as a humanist and a hero who saved Paris from urban warfare and destruction. In 1964, Dietrich von Choltitz explained in an interview taped from his Baden Baden home, why he had refused to obey Hitler: "If for the first time I had disobeyed, it was because I knew that Hitler was insane" ("Si pour la première fois j'ai désobéi, c'est parceque je savais qu'Hitler déraisonnait")". Baden-Baden is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River According to a 2004 interview his son Timo gave to the French public channel France 2, von Choltitz's father disobeyed Hitler and personally allowed the Allies to take the city back safely and rapidly, preventing the French Resistance from engaging in urban warfare that would have destroyed parts of Paris. France 2 is the largest French public Television network It is part of the France Télévisions group along with France 3, France 5 He knew the war was lost and decided alone to save the capital. ^[15]

However in France, this version is seen as a "falsification of History" since von Choltitz is regarded as a Nazi officer faithful to Hitler involved in many controversial actions such as:

• In 1940 and 1941, he gave the orders to destroy Sevastopol and burn Rotterdam. For the critical reexamination of historical facts see Historical revisionism. Sevastopol ( see pronunciation below) is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea Peninsula The Rotterdam Blitz refers to the aerial bombardment of Rotterdam by the German Airforce on 14 May 1940, during the German invasion ^[16]
• During the battle for Paris:
  • On 23 August, he ordered the burning of the Grand Palais occupied by FFI resistance. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire The Grand Palais ("Grand Palace" is a large glass Exhibition hall that was built for the Paris Exhibition of 1900. ^[17]
  • On 19 August, he ordered the destruction of the Pantin great windmills in order to starve the population. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. Pantin is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. ^[18]
  • On 16 August, he ordered the execution of 35 members of the resistance at the Bois de Boulogne waterfall. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting The Bois de Boulogne is a park located along the western edge of the 16ème arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt. ^[19]

In a 2004 interview, Parisian Resistance veteran Maurice Kriegel-Valrimont describes von Choltitz as a man who "as much longer as he could, killed French and when he ceased to kill them it was because he wasn't able to do so any longer". Kriegel-Valrimont argues "not only we owe him nothing but this a shameless fasification of History to award him any merit. "^[20] The Liberation de Paris documentary secretly shot during the battle by the Resistance brings evidence of bitter urban warfare that contradicts the von Choltitz father and son version. Despite this, the Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre novel Is Paris Burning? and its 1966 theatrical adaptation emphasize Von Choltitz as the saviour of Paris. Dominique Lapierre (born 1931 in Châtelaillon, near La Rochelle, France) is a French Author. Is Paris Burning? (French Paris brûle-t-il?) is a 1966 Franco - American film dealing with the 1944 Liberation

A third source, the protocols of telephonic conversations between von Choltitz and his superiors found later in the Fribourg archives and their analysis by German historians support Kriegel-Valrimont's theory^[21]. Fribourg ( French) (Freiburg or de Freiburg im [[Üechtland]], often Fribourg) is the capital of the Swiss canton of

Also, Pierre Taittinger and Raoul Nordling both claim it was them who convinced von Choltitz not to destroy Paris as ordered by Hitler^[22]. The first published a book . . . et Paris ne fut pas détruit (. . . and Paris Wasn't Destroyed) relating this episode in 1948 that earned him a prize from the French Academy. L'Académie française, or the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language.

German losses are estimated at about 3,200 killed and 12,800 prisoners of war.

De Gaulle's speech (25 August)

French Resistance snipers using captured firearms, 19 August.

Leclerc division Free French with U. S. uniforms, Thompson submachine gun and M1 Carbine, 25 August. The Thompson submachine gun is an American Submachine gun that became infamous during the Prohibition era The M1 Carbine (formally the United States Carbine Caliber.30 M1) is a lightweight semi-automatic Carbine that became a standard firearm in the

FFI using rifles, these were called "the soldiers without uniform", 19 August

On the same day, Charles de Gaulle, president of the Provisional Government of the French Republic moved back into the War Ministry on the rue Saint-Dominique, then made a rousing speech to the population from the Hôtel de Ville. Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle ( ( 22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French General and statesman who led the Free French The Provisional Government of the French Republic ( gouvernement provisoire de la République française or GPRF was an interim government which governed The Hôtel de Ville ( French for " City Hall " in Paris, France, is the building housing the City of Paris's administration

Victory parades (26 & 29 August)

U. S. 28th Infantry Division parading after the battle on 29 August

This was followed on 26 August by a victory parade down the Champs-Élysées, with some German snipers still active. The 28th Infantry Division is a unit of the United States Army and is the oldest division-sized unit in the armed forces of the United States. Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert. The Avenue des Champs-Élysées (ʃɑ̃zeliˈze) is the most prestigious avenue in Paris. According to a famous anecdote, while de Gaulle was marching down the Champs Elysee and came in the Place de la Concorde, snipers in the Hôtel de Crillon area shot at the crowd. The Place de la Concorde is one of the major squares in Paris, France. The Hôtel de Crillon in Paris is one of the oldest and most exclusive luxury hotels in the world Someone in the crowd shouted "this is the Fifth Column!" leading to a famous misunderstanding as a 2nd Armored Division tank operator shot at the Hôtel's actual fifth column, which had a different color. A fifth column is a group of people who clandestinely undermine a larger group to which it is expected to be loyal such as a Nation.

A combined Franco-American military parade was organised on the 29th after the arrival of the U.S. Army's 28th Infantry Division. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. The 28th Infantry Division is a unit of the United States Army and is the oldest division-sized unit in the armed forces of the United States. Joyous crowds greeted the Armée de la Libération and the Americans as liberators, as their vehicles drove down the city streets.

Aftermath

AMGOT exit

Further information: Allied Military Government for Occupied Territories

General Omar Bradley, Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Marie Pierre Kœnig and Air Marshal Arthur Tedder in liberated Paris (1944)

From the French point of view, the liberation of Paris by the French themselves rather than by the Allies saved France from a new constitution imposed by the Allied Military Government for Occupied Territories (AMGOT) like the contemporary ones established in Germany and Japan in 1945. The Allied Military Government for Occupied Territories (AMGOT was the form of military rule administered by Allied forces during and after World War II within European territories Omar Nelson Bradley KCB ( February 12, 1893 &ndash April 8, 1981) was one of the main U Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14 1890 – March 28 1969 was President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a five-star general Marie Pierre Kœnig ( October 10, 1898 &ndash September 2, 1970) was a French general. Marshal of the Royal Air Force Arthur William Tedder 1st Baron Tedder of Glenguin, GCB (11 July 1890–3 June 1967 was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force The Allied Military Government for Occupied Territories (AMGOT was the form of military rule administered by Allied forces during and after World War II within European territories For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. ^[23]

A Dollar-alike 100 Francs note made in America and distributed in Normandy in June 1944 as part of the AMGOT. The dollar (often represented by the Dollar sign: "$" is the name of the official Currency in several countries dependencies and other Origins The franc was originally a French Gold coin of 387 g minted in 1360 on the occasion of the release of King John II ("the good", held by the

The AMGOT administration for France was planned by the American Chief of Staff but de Gaulle's opposition to Eisenhower's strategy, moving to the East as soon as possible without passing by Paris in order to reach Berlin before Stalin's Red Army, led to the 2nd Armored Division breakout toward Paris and the liberation of the French capital. Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya ^[24] A clue of the French AMGOT's advanced status was the new French money, called "Flag Money" (monnaie drapeau) for it featured the French flag on its back, had been made in America and was distributed as a replacement for the Vichy money since June 1944, following the successful Operation Overlord in Normandy. However this short lived money was forbidden by GPRF President Charles de Gaulle after the liberation of Paris claiming these US dollar standard notes were fakes. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been

National Unity

Further information: French Resistance

Urban warfare scene, in the background a captured tank fires against a sniper position. The French Resistance is the collective name used for the French Resistance movements which fought against the Nazi German 19 August

Another important factor was the popular uprising of Paris which allowed the Parisians to liberate themselves from the Germans and gave the newly established Free French government and its president Charles de Gaulle enough prestige and authority to establish the Provisional Government of the French Republic. The Provisional Government of the French Republic ( gouvernement provisoire de la République française or GPRF was an interim government which governed This replaced the fallen Vichy French State (1940–1944) and united the politically divided French Resistance then including anarchists, communists, Gaullists and nationalists into a new "national unanimity" government established on 9 September 1944. Vichy ( Occitan: Vichèi) is a commune in the department of Allier in Auvergne in central France. Vichy France, or the Vichy regime are the common terms used to describe the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944 Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Gaullism (Gaullisme is a French political ideology based on the thought and action of Charles de Gaulle. The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[25]

In his speech, de Gaulle insisted on the role played by the French and on the necessity for the French people to support their "duty of war" in the Allies last campaigns to complete the liberation of France and to pursue the advance in Benelux and Germany. The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe that includes three neighboring monarchies, '''Be'''lgium, the '''Ne'''therlands, and De Gaulle wanted France to be part of "the victors" in order to evade the AMGOT threat. Two days later on 28 August the FFI, then called "the combatants without uniform", were incorporated in the New French Army (nouvelle armée française) which was fully equipped with U. Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital S. materiel (uniform, helmet, weapon and vehicles) until after the Algerian War in the 1960s. The Algerian War ( French: Guerre d'Algérie; 1954-1962 also known as Algerian War of Independence, led to Algeria 's independence from

World War II victor

Further information: German Instrument of Surrender

Allied Occupation Zones in Germany in 1946 after territorial annexations in the East

A point of strong disagreement between de Gaulle and the Big Three was that the President of the Provisional Government of the French Republic (GPRF), established on 3 June 1944, was not recognized as the legitimate representative of France. The German Instrument of Surrender was the Legal instrument by which the High Command of the German Armed Forces surrendered simultaneously to the Supreme The Allied powers who defeated Nazi Germany in World War II divided the country west of the Oder-Neisse line into four occupation zones for administrative The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Even though de Gaulle had been recognized as the leader of Free France by British Prime Minister Churchill back in 28 June 1940, his GPRF presidency had not resulted from democratic elections. The Free French Forces (Forces Françaises Libres FFL) were French fighters in World War II who decided to continue fighting against Axis forces Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. However, three months after the liberation of Paris and one month after the new "unanimity government", the Big Three recognized the GPRF on 23 October 1944. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[26][27]

In his liberation of Paris speech de Gaulle argued "It will not be enough that, with the help of our dear and admirable Allies, we have got rid of him from our home for us to be satisfied after what happened. We want to enter his territory as it should be, as victors", clearly showing his ambition for France to be considered one of the World War II victors just like the Big Three. This perspective was not obvious to the western Allies, as demonstrated in the German Instrument of Surrender's First Act ^[28]. The German Instrument of Surrender was the Legal instrument by which the High Command of the German Armed Forces surrendered simultaneously to the Supreme The French occupation zones in Germany and in West Berlin concretized this ambition, leading to some frustration, part of the deeper Western betrayal sentiment, from similar European Allies, especially Poland, whose proposition that they be part of the occupation of Germany was rejected by the Soviets, the latter taking the view that they had liberated the Poles from the Nazis, placing them under the influence of the USSR. The Allied powers who defeated Nazi Germany in World War II divided the country west of the Oder-Neisse line into four occupation zones for administrative West Berlin was the name given to the western part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990 Western betrayal or Yalta betrayal are popular terms in many Central European countries especially in Poland and the Czech Republic which refers Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991

Legal purge

Further information: Épuration légale

Several Vichy loyalists called "vichistes" being administration officials or militians—the Vichy Milice was established by Sturmbannführer Joseph Darnand and hunted the Resistance with the Gestapo—were made prisoners in the post-liberation purge era called Épuration légale. The Épuration légale ( French "legal purge" was the wave of official trials that followed the Liberation of France and the fall of the The Milice Française ( French Militia) generally called simply Milice (" Militia " was a Paramilitary force Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party which was used by both the Sturmabteilung (SA and the Schutzstaffel Joseph Darnand ( March 19, 1897 – October 10, 1945) was a French pro- Nazi leader and commander of the Vichy The ( contraction of ge heime Sta ats' po' lizei: "Secret State Police" was the official Secret police of Nazi Germany In History and Political science, to purge is to remove people considered by the group in power to be "undesirable" from a Government, Political The Épuration légale ( French "legal purge" was the wave of official trials that followed the Liberation of France and the fall of the However, some of them were executed without a trial, and the women accused of "horizontal collaboration" were arrested, shaved, exhibited and sometimes mauled by the crowds, for they had sex with German officers during the 1940–1944 occupation. Collaboration is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together toward an intersection of common goals — for example an intellectual

On 17 August 1944 Pierre Laval was moved to Belfort by the Germans. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Pierre Laval (28 June 1883 15 October 1945 was a French Politician and statesman who led the Vichy government during World War II, and Belfort (Beffert is a town and commune of northeastern France, Préfecture (capital of the Territoire de Belfort On 7 September, evading the Allies advance in western France and toward Berlin, Philippe Petain and 1,000 of his followers (including Louis-Ferdinand Céline) moved to Sigmaringen, a French enclave in Germany. Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain (24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951 generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain ( Maréchal Pétain) Louis-Ferdinand Céline was the Pen name of French writer and doctor Louis-Ferdinand Destouches (27 May 1894 &ndash 1 July 1961 Sigmaringen is a Town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. There they established the government of Sigmaringen challenging legitimacy over France to de Gaulle's Provisional Government of the French Republic. Soon Laval joined Sigmaringen, there were 2 million French living in Germany then; Most of them were forced workers sent there by the STO service (Service du Travail Obligatoire, "compulsory work service")^[29] established according to the 1940 armistice. As a sign of protest Petain, who was forced to move by the Germans, refused to take office but was eventually replaced by Fernand de Brinon. Fernand de Brinon (August 26 1885 – April 15 1947 was a French lawyer and journalist who was one of the architects of collaboration with the Nazis during The Vichy government in exile ended in April 1945. A government in exile is a political group that claims to be a country's legitimate government but for various reasons is unable to exercise its legal power and instead resides in a foreign

"Yesterday Strasbourg, tomorrow Saigon. . . "

Further information: Japanese Instrument of Surrender

Leclerc's 2nd Armored Division arms featuring the cross of Lorraine. The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was the written agreement that established the Armistice ending the Pacific War and with it World War II. The 2nd Armored Division (2e Division Blindée 2e DB commanded by General Leclerc, fought during the final phases of World War II in the Western Front This article is about a symbol For the film see The Cross of Lorraine.

Leclerc, whose 2nd Armored Division was regarded by the French with prestige, led the Expeditionary Forces FEFEO who sailed to French Indochina then occupied by the Japanese in 1945. The French Far East Expeditionary Corps (Corps Expéditionnaire Français en Extrême-Orient CEFEO was a colonial expeditionary force of the French Union Army sent in First French interventions See also France-Vietnam relations France-Vietnam relations started as early as the 17th century with the mission of the Jesuit The Second French Indochina Campaign also known as the Japanese coup of March 1945, was a Japanese military operation in all Vietnam, then a French colony

FEFEO recruiting posters depicted a Sherman tank painted with the cross of Lorraine with the caption "Yesterday Strasbourg, tomorrow Saigon, join in!" as a reference to the 1944 liberation of Paris by Leclerc's armored division and the role this unit played later in the liberation of Strasbourg. This article is about a symbol For the film see The Cross of Lorraine. Strasbourg (Strasbourg stʁazbuʁ Alsatian: Strossburi,; Straßburg) is the capital and principal City of the Alsace région The war effort for the liberation of French Indochina through the FEFEO was presented by the propaganda as the continuation of the liberation of France and part of the same "duty of war".

While Vichy France collaborated with Japan in French Indochina since the 1940 invasion and later established a Japan embassy in Sigmaringen^[30], de Gaulle had declared war on Japan on 8 December 1941 following the attack on Pearl Harbor and created local anti-Japanese resistance units called Corps Léger d'Intervention (CLI) in 1943. The, also known as the Vietnam Expedition, was an attempt by the Empire of Japan, during the Second Sino-Japanese War to blockade China and prevent Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The attack on Pearl Harbor (or Hawaii Operation, as it was called by the Imperial General Headquarters) was a surprise Military strike conducted by On 2 September 1945 General Leclerc signed the armistice with Japan on behalf of the Provisional Government of the French Republic onboard the USS Missouri. Events 44 BC - Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Construction See also Iowa class battleship, Armament of the Iowa class battleship Missouri was one of the ''Iowa''-class "

1944–2004

The 60th anniversary in 2004 was notable for the two military parades reminiscent of the 26 August and 29 August 1944 parades and featuring armoured vehicles from the era. Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert. Events 708 - Copper coins are minted in Japan for the first time (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 708) Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. One parade represented the French, one the Americans, while people danced in the streets to live music outside the Hôtel de Ville city hall.

Homage to the liberation martyrs

The wall of the 35 martyrs, Bois de Boulogne, Paris (2007)

On 16 May 2007, following his election as President of the Fifth French Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy organized an homage to the 35 French Resistance martyrs executed by the Germans during the liberation of Paris on 16 August 1944. The Bois de Boulogne is a park located along the western edge of the 16ème arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. See also Government of France The Fifth Republic is the fifth and current republican constitution of France, which was introduced on Nicolas Sarkozy (pronounced, The term martyr ( Greek μάρτυς martys "witness" is most commonly used today to describe an individual who sacrifices their life (or personal freedom Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. French historian Max Gallo narrated the events that happened in the Bois de Boulogne woods, and a Parisian schoolgirl read young French resistant Guy Môquet's (17) final letter. Max Gallo (born in Nice on 7 January 1932) is a French Writer, Historian and Politician. Guy Môquet ( 26 April 1924 — 22 October 1941) was a young French Communist militant During his speech, President Sarkozy announced this letter would be now read in all French schools to remember the resistance spirit. ^[31][32] Following the speech, the chorale of the French Republican Guard closed the homage ceremony by singing the French Resistance's anthem Le Chant des Partisans ("the partisans' song"). The Republican Guard (Garde républicaine is the Ceremonial unit of the French Gendarmerie. The Chant des Partisans was the most popular song of the Free France. Shortly following this occasion, the new President traveled to Berlin to meet German chancellor Angela Merkel as a symbol of the Franco-German reconciliation. (ˈaŋɡela doʁoˈteːa ˈmɛɐ̯kəl (born Angela Dorothea Kasner, 17 July 1954 in Hamburg, West Germany) is the Chancellor of Germany. The relations between France and Germany is embodied in a cooperation called Franco-German Partnership (French Amitié franco-allemande; German

La Libération de Paris

An early scene from La Libération de Paris, a German truck passes by the Kommandantur on 19 August.

La Libération de Paris ("the liberation of Paris"), whose original title was l'insurrection Nationale inséparable de la Libération Nationale ("the national insurrection inseparable from the national liberation"), was a short documentary secretly shot from 16 August to 27 August by the French Resistance propaganda. La Libération de Paris ( The Liberation of Paris) is a short historical documentary shot in secret by small propaganda units of the French Resistance during the Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan It was released in French theatres on 1 September 1944. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Filmography

• La Liberation de Paris (1944)
• Is Paris Burning? (1966)

Liberation of Paris notables

Resistants

• Georges Bidault — CNR
• Jacques Chaban-Delmas
• Marguerite Duras
• Léo Hamon — CPL
• Marie-Hélène Lefaucheux — CPL
• Henri Rol-Tanguy — FFI (FTP)
• Alexandre Parodi — CNR
• Edgar Pisani — CNR
• Pierre Villon — FFI (COMAC)

2nd Armored Division

• Pierre Billotte
• Claude Dauphin
• Louis Dio
• Raymond Dronne
• Jean Gabin
• Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
• Jean Marais
• Jean Nohain

Free French

• Charles de Gaulle
• Pierre-Marie Koenig

Paris garrison

• Dietrich von Choltitz — governor of Paris

Others

• Josephine Baker — Red Cross
• Ernest Hemingway — war correspondent
• Raoul Nordling — French-German mediator
• Pierre Taittinger — French-German mediator

Notes

1. ^ La Bataille de France 1944–1945, Jacques Mordal, Arthaud, 1964]
2. ^ Les Cahiers Multimédias: Il y a 60 ans : la Libération de Paris, Gérard Conreur/Mémorial du Maréchal Leclerc et de la Libération de Paris, Radio France official website, 6 July 2004
3. ^ Les Cahiers Multimédias: Il y a 60 ans : la Libération de Paris, Gérard Conreur/Mémorial du Maréchal Leclerc et de la Libération de Paris, Radio France official website, July 6 2004
4. ^ Pantin official website
5. ^ Pantin official website
6. ^ Allocution du Président de la République lors de la cérémonie d’hommage aux martyrs du Bois de Boulogne., President Nicolas Sarkozy, French Presidency official website, 16 May 2007
7. ^ ... et Paris Ne Fut Pas Detruit (... and Paris wasn't destroyed), Pierre Taittinger, L'Elan, 1946
8. ^ Will Paris be destroyed?, documentary by Michael Busse and Maria-Rosa Bobbi, Arte/WDR/France 3/TSR, August 2004
9. ^ Pantin official website
10. ^ Libération de Paris: Balises 1944 ,L'Humanité, 23 August 2004
11. ^ Libération de Paris : Mardi 24 août, L'Humanité, 24 August 2004
12. ^ Pantin official website
13. ^ La Bataille de France 1944–1945, Jacques Mordal, Arthaud, 1964]
14. ^ ... Brennt Paris?)
15. ^ 20 French news: 24 August 2004, France 2 public channel, INA National Audiovisual Institute archives
16. ^ 20 French news: 24 August 2004, France 2 public channel, INA National Audiovisual Institute archives
17. ^ 20 French news: 24 August 2004, France 2 public channel, INA National Audiovisual Institute archives
18. ^ 20 French news: 24 August 2004, France 2 public channel, INA National Audiovisual Institute archives
19. ^ 20 French news: 24 August 2004, France 2 public channel, INA National Audiovisual Institute archives
20. ^ 20 French news: 24 August 2004, France 2 public channel, INA National Audiovisual Institute archives
21. ^ Will Paris be destroyed?, documentary by Michael Busse and Maria-Rosa Bobbi, Arte/WDR/France 3/TSR, August 2004
22. ^ Will Paris be destroyed?, documentary by Michael Busse and Maria-Rosa Bobbi, Arte/WDR/France 3/TSR, August 2004
23. ^ 1944–1946 : La Libération, Charles de Gaulle foundation official website
24. ^ 1944-1946 : La Libération, Charles de Gaulle foundation official website
25. ^ 1944–1946 : La Libération, Charles de Gaulle foundation official website
26. ^ 1940–1944 : La France Libre et la France Combattante pt.2, Charles de Gaulle foundation official website
27. ^ 1940–1944 : La France Libre et la France Combattante pt.1, Charles de Gaulle foundation official website
28. ^ France excluded from the German capitulation signing by the Western Allies — Reims Academy
29. ^ Die Finsternis (The Darkness), Thomas Tielsch, Filmtank Hamburg/ZDF, 2005
30. ^ Die Finsternis (The Darkness), Thomas Tielsch, Filmtank Hamburg/ZDF, 2005
31. ^ President Nicolas Sarkozy's speech (English), French Presidency official website, 16 May 2007
32. ^ Max Gallo's ceremony (video), French Presidency official website, May 16, 2007

See also

• Mémorial du maréchal Leclerc de Hauteclocque et de la Libération de Paris
• Operation Dragoon
• Warsaw Uprising

Media links

• Battle for Paris: August 16–26, Documentary shot by the French Resistance propaganda, September 1, 1944

External links

• De Gaulle's speech from the Hôtel de Ville - Charles de Gaulle foundation
• De Gaulle's speech in retrospect - BBC News
• (French) La Libération de Paris (archive documents and detailed timeline) ,Gilles Primout

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