| Title: | The Ethnic Composition and the Participation of the Reorganized French Army in the Liberation of the Metropolitan France. |
| Authors: | Bene, Krisztián |
| Citation: | West Bohemian Historical Review. 2024, no. 1, p. 89-104. |
| Issue Date: | 2024 |
| Publisher: | Západočeská univerzita v Plzni |
| Document type: | článek article |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/11025/55643 |
| ISSN: | 1804-5480 |
| Keywords: | druhá světová válka;Francouzská armáda;osvobození;koloniální jednotky;bleaching |
| Keywords in different language: | World war II;French army;liberation;colonial troops;bleaching |
| Abstract in different language: | Although France suffered a crushing defeat in 1940 and was forced to sign an armistice, the war did not end for all French territories. In July 1940, General Charles de Gaulle created the Free French Forces in London to continue the fight against the Axis powers. The Allied invasion of French North Africa in November 1942 has changed the situation: the French North African government started to contribute to the Allied war effort and the French Army of Africa also joined the fight on the side of the Allies. In 1943, the two French forces have joined to form the French Liberation Army which took an active part in the fighting on the European theatre of operations. It fought successfully in Italy, during the liberation of the metropolitan France and in Germany. In a surprising way, more than half of the members of the French Liberation Army came from the French colonies. These soldiers were able to show a convincing performance on the battlefield during the fighting on the European theatre. Despite this, they were forced to undergo the so-called bleaching (blanchiment) during which they were replaced by metropolitan soldiers. This process created general discontent in their ranks, but their demonstration for more equitable behaviour was severely repressed by the French authorities. |
| Rights: | © Západočeská univerzita v Plzni |
| Appears in Collections: | Číslo 1 (2024) Číslo 1 (2024) |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBHR_2024_1-93-108.pdf | Plný text | 121,11 kB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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