Charles de Gaulle and the Free French Movement

Charles de Gaulle’s Free French Movement in 1941 was the leading reason that the Nazis did not over-take Paris during World War II. De Gaulle’s courage and patriotism made him the leader of the resistance. At the end of the war, he was honored by General Eisenhower for liberating the official city.

On June 18, 1940, soon after he fled France, Charles de Gaulle spoke to the French people from London on BBC radio. Although the British cabinet tried to block his speech, Winston Churchill over ruled them. His speech, which is known as the “Appeal of June 18th” , stated that “The cause of France is not lost. The very factors that brought about our defeat may one day lead us to victory. For France is not alone! She is not alone!” . De Gaulle wanted to create a revolution that would bind together people of all races to fight the Nazis. Though only a few people responded after the broadcast, the Free French Forces rose eventually to a staggering number of 400,000 soldiers.

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