Liberation of Paris

1944 · 20th century · Part of the Second World War

The Liberation of Paris was the freeing of the French capital from German occupation in August 1944. As Allied armies advanced from Normandy, the French Resistance rose in the city on 19 August, and the Free French 2nd Armoured Division under General Leclerc entered on 24–25 August, when the German commander, Dietrich von Choltitz, surrendered without carrying out Hitler's order to destroy the city. On 26 August Charles de Gaulle led a victory procession down the Champs-Élysées.

Great speeches

De Gaulle's Appeal of 18 June18 June 1940

Cite this entry

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Liberation of Paris. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/liberation-of-paris
MLA: “Liberation of Paris.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/liberation-of-paris. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Liberation of Paris.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/liberation-of-paris.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Liberation of Paris’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/liberation-of-paris (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻