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Free France
FreeFrance
Country
Continent: Europe
Capital: Brazzaville (1940–1943)
Algiers (1943–1944)

London (Seat of the French National Committee)

National Language: French
Government: Government in exile, provisional government over unoccupied and liberated territories
Status in OTL: Inactive

Free France was established after France fell to Germany in 1940. Its de facto leader was Charles de Gaulle, although not every French force who battled the Axis was directly under his command, or necessarily recognized him. With the liberation of France in 1944, de Gaulle's Free France was recognized as the new French government.

Free France in "The Last Article"[]

By 1947, the United States had realized that its policy of non-interference in World War II had been a grave mistake and was backing the colonies of Free France. Although furnished with American supplies and equipment, the war against the German backed Vichy French in Africa was not going well.

Free France in Worldwar[]

Free France had been born out of France's defeat in the blitzkrieg campaign of 1940. At the Peace of Cairo in 1944, France was recognized as German territory, while the leadership of Free France found itself reduced to the South Pacific islands of French Polynesia and the Cook Islands, with their headquarters in Papeete, Tahiti.[1]

In the following decades, Free France became neutral territory for all sides. While they could have easily have fallen to the Race, the United States, or the Empire of Japan, the U.S. and Japan realized that they'd be at loggerheads with each other if they did.[2][3] Moreover, all three found having a lawless no-man's-land, where deals could done without oversight to be very useful.[4][5]

When France regained independence following the Race-German War of 1965 and the Treaty of Moscow, making Free France redundant, many wondered how much longer it would continue on.[6]

References[]

  1. See, e.g., Colonization map.
  2. Second Contact, pg. 301, pb.
  3. Down to Earth, pg. 200, pb.
  4. Second Contact, pg. 301.
  5. Aftershocks, pg. 37, pb.
  6. Ibid.
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