Liberation of Paris (The Battle of Paris)
Is Paris Burning? In the face of certain defeat, Hitler wanted to make sure that the Allies captured Paris only as a razed city. Paris was the center of French politics, railroads, communications, and highways. Known as "The City of Light", it was an icon to the French people. Under Nazi occupation since June of 1940, it was the centerpiece in the political battle for power between the different political parties of the French Resistance. The German Governor of Paris, General von Choltitz, had orders that, in case of Allied invasion, he was to burn the city to the ground.
As rumors of the Allies' advance grew, Nazi troops began to retreat. On August 19, 1944, the uprising began. Small numbers of Resisters attacked German soldiers. FFI (French Forces of the Interior) leader, Rol-Tanguy, issued the call for resistance against the invaders. During the following days, the resistance occupied most of the city, but the Germans still held most of the monuments and a few key strongholds.
On August 25th, the French 2nd Armoured Division (under the command of Major General Leclerc) and the 4th US Infantry Division liberated the city And, despite Hitler's orders to destroy Paris, Von Choltitz surrendered the city intact.
This was a difficult page to condense to a couple of paragraphs. The political factions involved make for an interesting study, with the different French groups fighting each other AND the Germans. It's a story of great individual courage. Well worth your time.
Quotes to Remember
Brennt Paris? (Is Paris Burning?)
Hitler (asking if Paris was destroyed)
Paris! Outraged Paris! Broken Paris! Martyred Paris! But liberated Paris! Liberated by itself, liberated by its people, with the help of the French armies, with the support and the help of all France, of the France that fights, of the only France, of the real France, of the eternal France!
Charles de Gaulle
We, who have lived the greatest hours of our History, we have nothing else to wish than to show ourselves, up to the end, worthy of France. Long live France!
Charles de Gaulle
For More In-Depth Study
BOOKS
Liberation of Paris 1944 : Patton's Race for the
Seine (Steven Zaloga)
Soldiers of the Night (David Schoenbrun)
MOVIE
Is Paris Burning? (1966, Rene Clement, director)
Liberation of Paris 1944 : Patton's Race for the Seine (Steven Zaloga)
Soldiers of the Night (David Schoenbrun)
Is Paris Burning? (1966, Rene Clement, director)
