Appeal of 18 June

Appeal of 18 June

The Appeal of 18th June was a famous speech by Charles de Gaulle, the leader of the Free French Forces, in 1940. The appeal is the origin of the French Resistance to the German occupation during World War II. De Gaulle spoke to the French people from London after the fall of France. He declared the war for France was not yet over, and rallied the country in support of the Resistance. It is one of the most important speeches in French history.

In spite of its reputation as the beginning of the Resistance and Free French, historians have shown that the appeal was heard only by a minority of French people. De Gaulle's June 22 1940 speech on the BBC was much more widely heard. [ [http://www.cndp.fr/archivage/valid/3496/3496-198-212.pdf L'Appel du 18 juin] fr icon ]

Context

General de Gaulle became the "de facto" leader of the Free French Forces which had escaped to London in June 1940. Marshal Philippe Pétain, a hero of World War I, had signed an armistice of Nazi Germany, and led the collaborating Vichy government while the Germans occupied the country's northern portion. De Gaulle opposed the armistice and had fled France on June 15 after Pétain made clear that he would seek an accommodation with the Nazis.

Three days later, de Gaulle obtained special permission from Winston Churchill to broadcast a speech via BBC Radio over France, despite the British Cabinet's objections that such a broadcast could provoke the Pétain government into a closer allegiance with Germany. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/greatspeeches/story/0,,2059384,00.html "The Guardian", "A Mesmerising Oratory"] , April 29, 2007.] In his speech, de Gaulle reminded the French people that the British Empire and the United States of America would support them militarily and economically in an effort to retake France from the Germans.

The BBC did not deem the speech important enough to be recorded, and few actually heard it. A later speech, which was recorded and heard by more people, was given by de Gaulle on June 22.

Translation of the speech

On June 18, 1940, at 19:00, de Gaulle's voice was broadcast nationwide, saying:

:"The leaders who, for many years, have been at the head of the French armies have formed a government. This government, alleging the defeat of our armies, has made contact with the enemy in order to stop the fighting. It is true, we were, we are, overwhelmed by the mechanical, ground and air forces of the enemy. Infinitely more than their number, it is the tanks, the airplanes, the tactics of the Germans which are causing us to retreat. It was the tanks, the airplanes, the tactics of the Germans that surprised our leaders to the point of bringing them to where they are today.

:"But has the last word been said? Must hope disappear? Is defeat final? No!

:"Believe me, I who am speaking to you with full knowledge of the facts, and who tell you that nothing is lost for France. The same means that overcame us can bring us victory one day. For France is not alone! She is not alone! She is not alone! She has a vast Empire behind her. She can align with the British Empire that holds the sea and continues the fight. She can, like England, use without limit the immense industry of the United States.

:"This war is not limited to the unfortunate territory of our country. This war is not over as a result of the Battle of France. This war is a worldwide war. All the mistakes, all the delays, all the suffering, do not alter the fact that there are, in the world, all the means necessary to crush our enemies one day. Vanquished today by mechanical force, in the future we will be able to overcome by a superior mechanical force. The fate of the world depends on it.

:" I, General de Gaulle, currently in London, invite the officers and the French soldiers who are located in British territory or who might end up here, with their weapons or without their weapons, I invite the engineers and the specialised workers of the armament industries who are located in British territory or who might end up here, to put themselves in contact with me.

:"Whatever happens, the flame of the French resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished. Tomorrow, as today, I will speak on the Radio from London." [ [http://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Appel_du_18_juin?match=en Text of the speech in French] ] [ [http://lehrmaninstitute.org/history/index.html Text of the speech in English] The Lehrman Institute]

Notes

References

* David Schoenbrun & E.P.Dutton (1980). "Soldiers of the Night: The Story of the French Resistance". New York.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Appeal (disambiguation) — Appeal may refer to:* Appeal ndash; in law an appeal is a challenge of a judicial judgement to a higher authority, usually called an appellate court. * Appeal (motion) ndash; in parliamentary procedure an appeal is a challenge of the chair s… …   Wikipedia

  • Appeal to Reason — Album par Rise Against Sortie 2 octobre 2008 Enregistrement Janvier à Juin 2008 Blasting Room, Fort Collins, Colorado Durée 48:23 Genre Punk rock …   Wikipédia en Français

  • June 14, 2005 — June 14 2005 (Tuesday)* A major earthquake strikes about 80 miles (130 kilometers) off the coast of northern California on Tuesday night, briefly prompting a tsunami warning along the Pacific coast but with no immediate reports of damages or… …   Wikipedia

  • June 17, 2005 — June 17 2005 (Friday)* A mudslide in San Antonio Senahu, Guatemala, kills 23 people, including several children. Most of the dead were of Mayan descent. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N17579435.htm (alternet)] * The murder weapon used… …   Wikipedia

  • Appeal to Reason — For the newspaper, see Appeal to Reason (newspaper). Appeal to Reason …   Wikipedia

  • June 2006 in Southeast Asia — NOTOC This page deals with events that took place in or are of interest to Southeast Asia and/or events that involved its citizens.30 June 2006 (Friday)* Indonesian police are investigating the editor of Playboy Indonesia and two models whose… …   Wikipedia

  • Appeal procedure before the European Patent Office — Decisions of the first instances of the European Patent Office (EPO) can be appealed, i.e. challenged, before the Boards of Appeal of the EPO, in a judicial procedure (proper to an administrative court), as opposed to an administrative procedure …   Wikipedia

  • appeal — {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun 1 attraction/interest ADJECTIVE ▪ considerable, great, growing, obvious, powerful, special, strong ▪ immediate, i …   Collocations dictionary

  • June 2003 — NOTOC June 2003 : January February March April May June July August September October November DecemberEventsJune 1, 2003* The Group of Eight summit opens in Evian, France, to tight security and tens of thousands of protestors. * The sluice gates …   Wikipedia

  • June 2006 in the United States — NOTOC This page deals with current events in the United States, its insular areas, and other American interests. June 30, 2006 (Friday)*The United States military orders an investigation into claims that five US soldiers of the 502nd Infantry… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”