Free French Forces

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/free-french-forces

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is Free French Forces known for?Significant support from French colonial territories, particularly in Africa
2. What is the founding leader and visionary?General Charles de Gaulle, who refused to accept France's defeat
3. What is the date of proclamation?June 18, 1940, with the Appeal of June 18
4. Who were the Free French Forces?They were soldiers, sailors, and airmen who escaped capture after France fell in 1940, plus loyal colonial troops. They joined the Allies to fight for an independent France.
5. Why did General Charles de Gaulle leave France?He refused to accept the armistice with Germany and escaped to London to keep fighting. There he made the famous Appeal of June 18, 1940.

Vichy Regime: The collaborationist government of France established in 1940 after the German occupation.
Armistice: An agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop fighting for a certain time; a truce.
D-Day: The day in World War II on which the Allied forces invaded Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944.
National Identity: The sense of belonging to a nation, based on shared culture, history, and language.