WAR AND SOLDIERS
FREE FRENCH TROOPS
Paris, August 29, 1944.
General Charles de Gaulle, leader of Free French Forces
marched triumphantly liberated the city streets.
The French capital was glad when the four-year occupation ended.
De Gaulle fled to England as a young officer, when France collapsed.
His was gathered men to keep the French glory above.
They chose mark of Jeanne d'Arc Lorraine cross.
The free French forces became famous two years later
when they rejected Rommel's troops two weeks Bir Hakimissa.
Then they fought in Europe until his release.
His own reputation as a traitor proclaimed by men cleared
when their leader arrived in Paris victory parade
France and returned to the four major Allied ranks.
French blood flowed vuolaana the First World War.
The country directors believes that it could not afford to come into a new all-out war.
France's eastern border was built in fortified Maginot Line
to combat the new German attacks.
But the troops were mobilized again in September 1939 against Germany.
Armed forces contributed from strong enough to repel the invasion
but over-reliance on the Maginot line dashed the French strategy.
When the German lightning attack began in May 1940
France was unable to isolate this kind of fast, motorized war.
The Germans surrounded the three weeks the French northern armies
and behind them sent British troops at Dunkirk harbor.
Britain exported, among others, 100,000 French soldiers.
The Germans turned to 5.6. to the south of France to conquer the other.
The majority of the French people evacuated to England would have liked to return
but it was already too late.
The Germans marched in Paris on 14 June.
Two days later, France began truce negotiations.
The majority of the French were shocked and resigned.
They put their hopes on an aged Philippe Pétain
who had defended France Verdun 1st World War.
Pétain was appointed as prime minister assured
that only the conclusion of a peace put an end to the sufferings of the French.
Cease-fire agreement signed on 22 June.
It happened symbolically the same railway wagon
where Germany had surrendered ympärysvalloille in 1918.
Germany invaded northern France and the west coast
but the Pétain government received operate elsewhere in the country quite freely.
The area was called Pétain administration of the city of Vichy French.
Germany left the French colonies in peace
and they recognized the Vichy French legal government.
But the proportion of French is not swallowed loss
and they were determined to continue their struggle.
I refused to even thinking that would stop the fight.
We had a colonial empire, the fleet
Great for airplanes and gold.
We had every reason to continue the fight.
June 16, when the French government decided to seek a ceasefire
unknown Brigadier General Charles de Gaulle spoke by radio from London.
Us believe that the French continue their war
honorably alongside the Allies.
De Gaulle had commanded an armored division in the war.
He was for some time Deputy Minister of Defence
before she slipped to Britain after realizing that France would be lost.
Britons supported de Gaulle Free French movement leader.
He spoke French even later.
I urge all freedom-loving French to follow me.
Long live a free, honorable and independent France!
The message will not go through.
The Vichy government a traitor sentenced to the death penalty.
It seemed that de Gaulle should men into battle against the Nazis.
The free French troops in August 1940 about 2,000 men.
Their role model was Jeanne d'Arc, Chapter 1400 war hero
and they used his own mark, the Cross of Lorraine.
We were insurgents, and rebel position is special.
We had been sentenced to death and isolated from loved ones.
We did not hear anything about them. We did not get our salaries.
Vichy announced that the family would suffer because of us.
But a growing number of French did not care about threats
and followed de Gaulle's inspiring example.
They were determined to liberate the French Nazi power.
RAF were affected by experienced veterans of the fighting in France.
13 French participated in the battle of England.
French naval station turned out to be very as troubled.
Churchill feared that Germany would use the French ships.
They kept the terms of the ceasefire to disarm under the supervision of the Axis powers.
A few of the ship was the British ports when the ceasefire came into force
but most of them were French bases in North Africa.
They refused to 2.7. 1940 to join the British fleet
when the British opened fire against Oran and Mers el Kabir ports.
About 1300 sailors were killed former allies gunfire.
Britain seized at the same time, in its ports were the French ships.
Most of the crews gave up his vessel without resistance.
But the submarine Surcouf Plymouth skirmish broke out
which ended a three brit and one Frenchman to death.
The Mediterranean port of Alexandria become a French squadron
gave the British to disarm.
But so many marine soldier's death
hampered the matter de Gaulle and added the Vichy bitterness toward the British.
First glimmer of hope in the free French came from Africa
where de Gaulle had sent a representative.
Captain Philippe de Hautecloque was wounded in combat in France
but unable to escape to England.
He started to use another name Leclerc
so his family would not have to trouble.
Leclerc managed to Chad and Equatorial Africa
to persuade the colonies free French side.
De Gaulle got at the same time to support the British invasion in Dakar
and to try the conquest of the Allies.
De Gaulle rose with the troops ashore in Dakar, 23.9.
Vichy troops refused to surrender but opened fire.
The British cruiser and battleship damaged confrontation.
Anglo French department withdrew its tail between its legs.
It was a complete fiasco.
General invited us to convene the next day. The mood was bad.
De Gaulle said that it was only a temporary setback.
The General went months after Cameroon
to strengthen its grip on settlements, which Leclerc got to his side.
Gabon was obtained in November, when the Vichy troops were first minted.
13. At the end of 1940 brigade, a cornerstone of the free French army
who had been involved in de Gaulle in Dakar and in Cameroon
went on board the British had in Egypt.
It consisted of a legionnaire, who wanted to fight in the desert.
Chad Colonel Jean d'Ornano, the command of Free French troops
operate with the British remote patrols
Libya occupied the southern part of the Italians.
D'Ornano fell in the attack Murzukin airport in January 1941.
Leclerc had to come off the bench and proceeded to Libya 3000-man
supported by 12 obsolete bombers.
The free French troops occupied 1.3. 1941 Kufran oasis.
It was a significant victory for the Allies.
Far patrols were able to use Kufraa base
and made with the support of the Leclerc several attacks Italian stations.
13. The brigade arrived in Egypt Leclerc fights the desert.
It moved to Chad and a battalion of combined "d'Orient" brigade
who fought alongside the British in the Italian-dominated Eritrea.
French campaign highlight was the conquest of the port of Massaua.
At the beginning of 1941 Egypt became more and more French troops to leave.
But, their loyalty was shown in June a severe test.
Syria was still under control of Vichy, and the British had left it alone
but in May in neighboring Iraq began to rebel against the British.
Germany supported the rebellion and sought Vichyltä permission to use Syrian airfields.
When the British got to know about it, they decided to attack
because they were afraid of the Luftwaffe and the Vichy machines to hit Egypt.
Department consisted of six French battalions
artillery battery and a few tanks.
It was attacked on June 8 and soon faced fierce resistance.
Top of units involved in the French liaison officers
which attracted the Vichy troops in de Gaulle's side
but they were not listened to.
The French began to fight with each other.
Damascus on both sides of the Foreign units.
Gains six weeks kamppailtiin
before the Governor-General Dentz agreed to negotiations.
Most of his men still had to de Gaulle as a traitor.
The free French side took only 6,000 men 37000 copies.
The rest was returned to Vichy France, which welcomed them as heroes.
De Gaulle was furious, because he was not consulted on the negotiations.
He opposed the reimbursement of troop and in particular the
that Syria is now dominated by Britain and Free France.
French pilots formed in the autumn of 1941
RAF: een oman hävittäjälaivueensa, 340. "Ile de Francen".
It flew the Spitfire, and it was the home ground of Scotland.
Meanwhile, Leclerc forces in Libya had flown in men
combined "Lorraine" squadron.
The Blenheim bombers belonged to the RAF's aavikkolennostoon
which gave air support for the British 8th Army.
The free French Navy participated in the battles of the Atlantic.
Its vessels protected the convoys and submarines rejected.
Corvette Aconit reached a unique achievement
sinking two submarines on the same day 11.3. 1943.
It ran a one-damaged boats
and forced another to rise to the surface and drove toward even more.
US accession to the war in December 1941 meant that
that the Americas were the French holdings could be taken Vichyltä.
Washington was going to do it by negotiation
but in one case, de Gaulle decided to run amok.
It was a small Saint Pierre et Miquelon'n group of islands.
De Gaulle commanded by Admiral Emile Muselier'n
Invested Halifax naval commander department, to take control of the islands.
The US and Canada, despite the opposition of the
Department made submarine Surcouf, led invasion 24. 12. 1941.
Most of the residents willingly transferred to leave the French side.
De Gaulle omavaltaisuus tantrum in the US and Canada
but the matter was not important now.
Free France fought mainly in North Africa, along with the British.
At the end of 1941 in the Middle East have been French
was organized into two brigades, which are subjected to 8th Army.
They were the new Special Air Service Special Forces
who made a shock Axis airports.
General Marie Pierre Koenig 1st brigade
encountered the first French unit of German
since the summer of 1940 disaster.
Koenig was a tough and outspoken military
and most of his men was a legionnaire.
The British were in the spring of 1942 stationed in Libya on the south side Gazalan
and were preparing to attack Rommel's troops.
Defence Line consisted of fortified positions
of which the southernmost, Bir Hakim, was the responsibility of the Free French.
It was surrounded by extensive minefields and barbed wire obstacles.
Field and anti-tank artillery had plenty
but the role of troubled same weakness as the entire Gazalan lines:
The following stations artillery did not reach to support its neighbors.
General Koenig unit was isolated
and its eteläsivustalta began open desert.
He joutuivatkin pian pinteeseen.
Axis Force Commander Erwin Rommel managed to attack first.
His armor koukkasivat night 26. 5. Gazalan south of a line.
They cut off within a day 8th Army Signal connections
and sow confusion in the British On the back there.
Bir Hakim was completely blockaded.
Italian "Trieste" armored division and the German 19th Light Division
Free attacked French positions but to no avail.
Rommel sent a champion troops, 15 armored division, their help.
The situation looked bad.
The free French men were determined to take
as long as the ammunition and provisions-would be sufficient.
Fire was opened only after the enemy had gotten close.
Each attack was thwarted.
Ammunition and food began to run out in two weeks
and Koenig are finally allowed to break out of encirclement.
He did it at night on June 10
and brought 2700 men 3600 to security.
Nobody doubted the courage to leave the French forces.
They had to prove themselves to be real soldiers.
The fortunes of war turned to the North African desert in October 1942
when General Bernard Montgomery went on the attack El Alamein.
8. Free French army two brigades took part in the battle
where the Axis were expelled from Libya.
At the same time, General Leclerc 3000-man unit
who had worked in Libya for nearly two years, began to go to the north.
It drove a whopping 2400 km through the desert
and faced Montgomery in Tripoli, January 23.
the same day, when the British came to the Libyan capital.
Leclerc joined forces with other Free French Brigades
and they were 1. Free French division.
It was confirmed very soon
the second French colony had begun operation
which the Free French received fresh troops.
The British and the US had agreed to launch joint military operations
countries rise in Morocco and Algeria.
The enemy was to be evicted from Africa by threatening to Rommel my back.
The Allies hoped that the countries under Vichy would switch sides
to oppose the invasion.
The US began to feel the situation.
The US has had diplomatic relations with Vichy France
but Britain was hated because of fleet embedding.
The task was given to General Mark Clark
which was the operation "Torchin" deputy commander.
He was taken to the dive boat to encrypt the Algerian coast
to negotiate Algeria Force Commander, Gen. Mastin with.
The talks failed to achieve results.
President Roosevelt's view, de Gaulle was so edgy
that he could have sent to negotiate in North Africa.
He chose the General Henri Giraud'n
who had escaped from a prisoner of war and hiding from Vichy France.
The submarine secretly picked Giraud'n and took him to Gibraltar.
There he met the commander landing, General Eisenhower,
who told me that the invasion would take place the next day, November 8th.
Increases countries were Morocco, Casablanca
and the Algerian port cities Oraniin and Algiers.
Vichy forces did initially strong resistance, particularly in Algiers.
The next day, Admiral Jean Darlan, the commander of the Northwest African
agreed to a ceasefire in Algiers, but not elsewhere.
Morocco and Algeria were fighting for another two days.
French high kiukuksi Darlan was allowed to keep its position
even though he openly supported Pétain.
He arrested the Free French supporters who were trying to capture him.
Darlan agreed to cooperate with the Giraud'n, who came to Gibraltar
when the Allies tried to get even the Vichy Tunisia particular side.
They were up against strong enemy forces
who had been brought from air transport to Tunisia.
Unaware of the Vichy forces did not initially made resistance.
Progressive forces joined the General Alfonse Juin commanded by soldiers
who joined the army 19 1. The French army municipality.
The free French forces fought in Tunisia harshly.
Leclerc troops played a key role
when Montgomery attacked the strong Mareth Line in March 1943.
Freedom of the French armed forces were strengthened
but the political situation had changed considerably.
Young royalist murdered Darlan on Christmas Day in 1942.
De Gaulle agreed to form a Giraud'n Liberation Committee
but rose back soon leave France as the sole leader.
The Allies marched in Tunis in May after the end of fighting.
Parade attended by a lot of French fries.
It proved that France once again began to raise its head.
The French were supposed to participate in the Italian conquest
but before that they had to get new weapons.
The soldiers were excited to get the tanks and weapons
and trained hard to reach the Allies by.
The free French forces were finally force to be reckoned.
Release of Their land was no longer just a distant dream.
Even before the free French forces came to Europe
on the continent battled other French.
"Normandy" aircraft regiment fought in the east of the Soviet Union ranks.
De Gaulle wanted to support the USSR strongly
and after the negotiations, Britain and the Soviet Union
there took the pilots through Persia and Baku.
The regiment received training and started to battle flights in March 1943.
It was given the name "Neman" for promoting a crossing of the river of the same name in 1944.
When it returned to France in June 1945
"Normandie Neman" regiment's account was 273 loss.
Kun "Normandie Nëman" aloitteli kaksivuotista sotaansa
The free French troops took place 80,000 man army into a cooperative
commanded by General Alphonse Juin.
It started in the autumn of 1943 in Italy by General Clark's 5th Army included.
Army Corps was soon bitter battles
Gustav line in strong positions in the mountains south of Rome.
A number of the backbone of the department were loosely organized santarmiyksiköt
who had taken control of the Moroccan countryside.
They were tough, and used unashamedly to terror as a weapon
but the French officers honored them.
Army Corps reached their skills using the Gustav line through
breaking the German defense of Garigliano river.
French marched to Rome and participated in the liberation.
The free French forces concentrated on the final 1944 target
The release of French.
The free France was the RAF fighter to 4 and 3 Bombard fleets.
Ace pilot Pierre Clostermann was the outbreak of the war in Brazil
but came to Britain and received a fighter pilot training.
Clostermann first flew the Spitfire 341. "Alsace" in the squadron.
At the end of the war he commanded the Tempest squadrons.
His plane was called "Vieux Charles", who referred to de Gaulle.
He dropped during the 2 years of 33 German aircraft.
The free French ships were preparing for the landing.
Crews of experience was accumulated Atlantic harsh battles.
Most have been in the UK Free French forces department
was commanded by General Leclerc 2nd armored division.
It was set up in Morocco and moved to Britain in the autumn of 1943.
SAS, for there were two battalions of free France parachute men.
All were waiting for the moment when they would get to step on their home soil as well.
The only 6.6. 1944 increase in the free French soldiers countries
commandos were multi-ethnic 10th regiment.
Their boss was a seasoned veteran Philippe Keiffer.
Men Keifferin landed alongside brittitoveriensa.
Rejoice in the men wished to welcome them.
Additional jumped into France of small special teams involved.
They contacted the French paramilitary resistance groups
and directed their activities.
General Leclerc repatriation had begun to Chad three years ago,
but he got in the divisions in France until the end of July.
The Americans understood how important moment for France's return was.
Division joined General George S. Patton's 3rd Army
who prepared to break out of the Normandy.
Calvados, an apple brandy region, helped men Leclerc trip
French first across the south and then east.
Their final goal was the capital of France.
2nd armored division spearhead reached Paris late in the evening 23.8.
Leclerc got to sneak a moment of celebration in the middle
and spoke on the phone with his father for the first time for more than four years.
Then he had to return to work.
The resistance movement had begun to fight against the Germans in Paris.
Bloody street fighting was feared to lead to full anarchy.
Street Battles continued and 24. On the morning
when Leclerc reached the center of Paris.
He received the German General von Choltitzin surrender.
Much of the occupiers surrendered, but many continued to fight.
Paris Liberation culminated the next day.
Charles de Gaulle visited the Arc de Triomphe
as a sign that he had won the struggle.
Fire fights with the Nazis interfered with his voitonmarssiaan.
But de Gaulle took full advantage of this moment.
Leclerc's forces were led to the exemption of Paris.
10 days in advance Free France had been another great battle.
The Allies did 15.8. Southern France invasion
which included Alfonse Juin Italy had fought the army base.
1. It was part of the army, commanded by General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny.
He was in 1940 commanded the infantry regiments
and Vichy divisions in Tunisia and the South of France.
When Germany invaded the South of France in 1942 the operation "Torchin" after
de Lattre tried in accordance with the commandments to resist.
The Vichy government sentenced him to 10 years in prison because
but he managed to flee across the Mediterranean in Algeria.
De Lattren had to initially release Toulon and Marseilles cities.
The Germans were run quickly off the great satisfaction of the inhabitants.
De Lattre proceeded to the US 6th the army along the Rhone valley.
Progress culminated in Lyon release 3.9.
De Lattre and Leclerc received a part of the resistance movement command
and proceeded to Voges'n territory to the Swiss border on the north side.
French became fierce battle in Colmar'n
which was the last obstacle on the way towards the Rhine.
Not until the beginning of February 1945
Germany opened the way to the last natural defense line.
French emptied during the last rush past the sluggish Black Forest
and ended up in the castle of Hitler's Berchtesgaden Alps
that the bombers were bashed by the crush.
German capitulation in Reims and Berlin was the highlight of the war.
French representatives sat down with pride on the table
American, British and Soviet beside.
De Lattre was one of the signatories of the Berlin capitulation.
France got control of the sector in Berlin and West Germany.
France had received self-confidence and superpower status back.
It would not have been possible without de Gaulle's determination
and a few thousand French, who are resigned to defeat.
The war took them from Britain in Central and North Africa
Italy and Northwest Europe.
Taivalkoski had been a long and heavy.
In their own country rejected the soldiers had strength to believe
and finally won.