AA / Paris / Ümit Dönmez
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs commemorated the Appeal of June 18, 1940, this Tuesday. In a press release, the Quai d’Orsay underlined the importance of the Appeal of June 18, 1940, launched by General de Gaulle from London, urging the French to resist the Nazi occupation.
This appeal, broadcast on the BBC, marked a crucial turning point in the history of French resistance. France “pays tribute to all those who resisted and fought for our freedom,” we read in the press release.
General de Gaulle’s speech is considered the founding text of Free France and the French Resistance during the Second World War.
In his statement to the French, General de Gaulle urged the French not to stop fighting in the face of Nazi occupation, declaring that “the flame of French resistance must not and will not be extinguished.” De Gaulle thus opposed the armistice signed by Marshal Pétain with Nazi Germany, considering this act as a betrayal of the values of the Republic.
The appeal of June 18 marked the start of a resistance movement that would grow throughout the conflict. It was a key moment for national unity, inspiring many French people to join Free France and fight the German occupation from within and without.
This speech had a considerable impact, although few French people were able to hear it live due to the communication difficulties of the time. Nevertheless, the message spread quickly thanks to resistance networks and the propaganda efforts of Free France.
General de Gaulle, an emblematic figure of this resistance, would subsequently become the head of the provisional government of the French Republic after the Liberation, playing a determining role in the reconstruction of the country.
As a reminder, Marshal Pétain’s Vichy regime collaborated with the Nazis, notably in the deportation of thousands of French Jews to the concentration camps where the Holocaust took place.
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