Free French: Map & History
Free France was a resistance government claiming to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic during World War II.
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Free France was a resistance government claiming to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic during World War II. Led by General Charles de Gaulle, Free France was established as a government-in-exile in London in June 1940 after the Fall of France to Nazi Germany. It joined the Allied nations in fighting Axis forces with the, supported the Resistance in Nazi-occupied France, known as the French Forces of the Interior, and gained strategic footholds in several French colonies in Africa.
Modern Countries Once Part of Free French
At its mapped extent, Free French covered territory in 9 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Djibouti1942–1943 CE · nearly all
- Guadeloupe1944 CE · nearly all
- Martinique1944 CE · nearly all
- Gabon1940–1943 CE · nearly all
- Republic of the Congo1940–1943 CE · most
- Central African Republic1940–1943 CE · most
- French Guiana1944 CE · most
- Chad1941–1943 CE · most
- Cameroon1940–1943 CE · most
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Free French's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Free French in Depth
History
On 10 May 1940, Nazi Germany invaded France and the Low Countries, rapidly defeating the Dutch and Belgians, while armoured units attacking through the Ardennes cut off the Franco-British strike force in Belgium. By the end of May, the British and French northern armies were trapped in a series of pockets, including Dunkirk, Calais, Boulogne, Saint-Valery-en-Caux and Lille. The Dunkirk evacuation was only made possible by the resistance of these troops, particularly the French army divisions at Lille.
From 27 May to 4 June, over 200,000 members of the British Expeditionary Force and 140,000 French troops were evacuated from Dunkirk. French evacuees were quickly returned to France and many fought in the June battles.
Legacy
The Free French Memorial on Lyle Hill in Greenock, in western Scotland, in the shape of the Cross of Lorraine combined with an anchor, was raised by subscription as a memorial to sailors on the Free French Naval Forces vessels that sailed from the Firth of Clyde to take part in the Battle of the Atlantic.
The memorial is also associated, locally, with the memory of the French destroyer Maillé Brézé (1931) which sank at the Tail of the Bank.
To this day, General de Gaulle's Appeal of 18 June 1940 remains one of the most famous speeches in French history.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Free France (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Free French: Key Facts
| Capitals | London, Algiers, Brazzaville |
|---|---|
| Official language | French |
| Form of government | government-in-exile, provisional government |
| Founded | 18 June 1940 |
| Dissolved | 3 June 1943 |
Succeeded by
- French Committee of National Liberation
Facts from Wikidata Q152582 (CC0).
Free French Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 2,377,926 km² in 1942 CE.
Free French: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Free French exist?
Free French is dated to 1940 CE – 1944 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of Free French?
The capital of Free French was Paris (de jure)London (de facto) (until November 1942) Brazzaville (de jure and de facto) (1940–1942) Algiers (de facto) (after November 1942).
How large was Free French at its peak?
At its peak in 1942 Free French covered about 2,377,926 km².
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