This year the city of Paris celebrated the anniversary of the city’s liberation during World War II, marking the 80th anniversary of the city’s liberation during World War II—a moment that still sends shivers down the spine of anyone who knows its true story.
The official commemorative date is August 23rd, the day when General Leclerc’s heroic second armored division thundered into Paris at the Porte d’Orléans, igniting hope in a city crushed under the iron heel of occupation.
But it was on August 25, 1944, that General De Gaulle, with all the gravity and grandeur of history itself, stood at the Paris City Hall and delivered an electrifying speech that echoed through the ages:
“Paris, Paris outraged, Paris broken, Paris martyred! But Paris liberated. Liberated by itself, by its people with the help of the French armies and the help of all of France, of the France that fights, of the only France, of the true France, of the eternal France.”
In the annals of history, there are moments when a single speech can unite a fractured nation and ensure its survival. De Gaulle’s speech was one such moment. But behind the soaring rhetoric lies a tangled and thrilling tale of betrayal, bravery, and brinkmanship that could have easily ended in disaster. And now, we’re peeling back the layers to reveal the pulse-pounding drama that unfolded as Paris teetered on the edge of oblivion.
Paris had been suffocating under Nazi control since June 14, 1940. The government, known as the Third Republic, collapsed, and the once-mighty France surrendered to the Germans, with Maréchal Philippe Pétain striking a deal that handed over the heart of the country to Hitler’s minions. But from this dark chapter, the flames of resistance began to flicker, slowly growing into an inferno of defiance.
The Resistances, a patchwork of organizations fueled by a burning desire for freedom, rose from the ashes of defeat. The largest among them, the FFI (Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur) and the Communists, were often at odds, locked in a struggle as fierce as their fight against the occupiers.
To bring order to this chaos, De Gaulle entrusted Jean Moulin, a man with nerves of steel, to forge a united front. The result was the National Resistance Council, a secretive assembly of 15 determined souls, each representing a different faction of the resistance.
As Paris simmered with tension, two men emerged as unlikely saviors of the city. General Dietrich von Choltitz, a hardened German officer, was handed the reins of Paris by Hitler himself, with chilling orders: either hold the city or turn it into a smoldering ruin. Meanwhile, Raoul Nordling, the wily Swedish General Counsel, worked tirelessly behind the scenes, weaving a web of negotiations to save the City of Light from a fiery fate.
Von Choltitz wasted no time. He ordered explosives to be placed on every critical structure—the bridges, the monuments, the very lifeblood of Paris—preparing to obliterate the city at a moment’s notice. But even as the FFI launched a daring assault on the Préfecture de Police, seizing the heart of Paris’s defenses, the Communists, furious at being left out of the plan, plotted their next move. The stage was set for an explosive showdown.
As the city teetered on the brink, Nordling pulled off a diplomatic coup, brokering a fragile ceasefire between von Choltitz and the FFI. But the Communists, defiant and unyielding, refused to stand down, voting to reject the ceasefire and throwing the city into a desperate struggle for survival. With weapons and hope running out, they turned to Major Gallois, who undertook a perilous mission to reach the Allied command in Normandy.
His plea to General Patton for a parachute drop of arms was met with cold pragmatism—the liberation of Paris, he was told, would delay the final push into Germany.
But Gallois was undeterred. He appealed to French pride, and soon his words reached the ears of General Eisenhower, who realized that the liberation of Paris was not just a military necessity but a political one. The decision was made: General Leclerc’s second armored division would storm Paris, with American forces hot on their heels.
In a breathtaking twist, von Choltitz, torn between duty and decency, reached out to Nordling once more. He knew the war was lost, and with it, the orders to annihilate Paris seemed not only futile but barbaric. Secretly, he urged Nordling to bring De Gaulle to Paris to take control, buying time as the German forces withdrew.
And then, on August 23rd, 1944, Paris erupted in joy as Leclerc’s troops rolled into the city. De Gaulle arrived soon after, his presence a symbol of France’s indomitable spirit. The Resistance, eager to stake their claim in the new France, found themselves facing the unyielding will of De Gaulle, who made it clear that the future of France would be forged under his leadership.
The world watched in awe as De Gaulle led the triumphant march down the Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe standing as a testament to a victory that was as much about survival as it was about military triumph. The liberation of Paris was a miracle of fortune and fate, a moment when the city’s beauty was almost lost to the flames of war.
Eighty years later, Paris remains one of the world’s most breathtaking cities, its allure only deepened by the incredible story of its liberation. Knowing how close we came to losing this treasure makes every visit a pilgrimage of gratitude. So come, walk the streets that once trembled under the threat of destruction, and marvel at the city that defied the odds to shine brighter than ever. There is truly nowhere else like Paris!
Written by Eliot Goldman
If you want to know every detail about this important event we invite you to get the iconic book "Is Paris burning" here. And for the big fans of WWII history the hard cover of the same book here.
If you wish to discover the history during your next Paris visit you can book our themed stroll "Paris World War II" and walk the same path so many heroes risked their lives at for the sake of a free world.
Watch the whole 80 year commemoration below
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