Jump to content

Liberation of France

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Liberation of France
Part of The Western Front of the European theatre of World War II

Resistance leader Charles de Gaulle speaking from the balcony at Cherbourg City Hall, 20 August 1944
DateJune 6 1944 - May 8 1945
Location
German occupied France
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Commanders and leaders
United States Dwight D. Eisenhower
United States George S. Patton
United Kingdom Bernard Montgomery
United Kingdom Miles Dempsey
Canada Harry Crerar
Canada Guy Simonds
Provisional Government of the French Republic Charles de Gaulle
Provisional Government of the French Republic Jean de Lattre de Tassigny
Polish government-in-exile Stanisław Maczek
Polish government-in-exile Kazimierz Sosnkowski
Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler
Nazi Germany Gerd von Rundstedt
Nazi Germany Erwin Rommel
Vichy France Joseph Darnand

The Liberation of France, was the time in French history when France was liberated by the Allied powers from June 6 1944 - May 8 1945. Since 1940, France was occupied by Nazi germany after Germany won the Battle of France. On June 6 1944, allied forces from the US, the UK, and Canada landed at the beaches of Normandy in what was known as D-day. The allied forces would break out of the beachhead in august. On August 15 1944, allied forces from the US and France landed in southern France in what was known was operation dragoon. Paris would be liberated on the 25th. (6 days after resistance fighting began) When d-day and dragoon forces linked up, some German forces remained at some western naval ports and they would stay there until the end of the war.