Civilian populations flee in indescribable chaos before the enemy troops. The last government of the Third Republic, abandoning Paris for the south of France, is swept along by the rout and collapses with the Regime. While everything seems lost in this tragic situation, on June 18, 1940, General de Gaulle, unknown to the public, on a mission in London with the British government, alone, refusing to accept either defeat or humiliation, broadcasts his historic call for resistance and continued fighting, embracing sacrifice and hope, on the BBC airwaves.
On that day, Free France was born!
This exhibition, composed of around forty panels depicting history through photos and texts, seizes the exceptional opportunity of this 70th anniversary to honor and highlight the participation of all those who responded to the call on June 18, 1940. The Masséna Palace will thus recount through images and texts the epic journey of the soldiers of Free France.
The Delegation of Free France for the Alpes-Maritimes wanted this 70th anniversary of General de Gaulle’s Appeal to have a special significance in our department. To give this celebration an even more resounding echo, this exhibition will be itinerant throughout the Alpes-Maritimes, accompanied by presentations and talks in the colleges and high schools of the department.
Exhibition from June 18 to 24, 2010.
