http://www.paris.org/Expos/Liberation/Actors/degaulle.html (Einblicke ins Internet, 10/1995)
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Charles De GaulleHaving left France after the Marshal Philippe Pétain concluded an armistice with Germany, de Gaulle - a French army officer at the time - made his famous appeal of 18 June 1940 from London for a French continuation of the war against Germany. This was the beginning of the Forces of Free France - Forces Françaises Libres.
De Gaulle entered Paris on 25 August 1944, and that evening gave on of his most memorable (and improvised) speechs (Français / English) from the Hôtel de Ville. The next day (26 August 1944), he paraded down the Champs Elysées in triumph together with the 2nd French Armored Division of Général Leclerc to Notre Dame. This was despite sporadic snipper fire - even inside of Notre Dame during the Te Deum - and the dangers of pulling the 2nd French Armored Division away from the outskirts of a city only just liberated.
The reason was it was central to putting the stamp of the Free French on the liberation of Paris, and acclaiming de Gaulle as the leader of the Government of France. This acclaimation effectively thwarted the Communist's pretentions to power.
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Updated 08/94
