DE GAULLE - 14 June 1944, A Historic Day

14 June 1944: a defining day for the liberation and the fate of post-war France. In the face of the hostility of President Roosevelt and the United States, who sought to occupy and make France a vassal state, General de Gaulle restored national integrity at Bayeux on that day. A remarkable document in which the author reconstructs these historic moments step by step, drawing on sources and more than three hundred photographs to establish once and for all these essential moments in the history of France.

If history is written over the long term, that of the General at Bayeux has been in the making since June 1944. The portraits of those around Charles de Gaulle, the events and negotiations with the Allies prior to his return to France, the myth or reality of AMGOT, the landing and re-embarkation of General de Gaulle, sub-prefect Pierre Rochat, the various encounters with French citizens throughout the day, the Jeep circuit around the bridgehead — all of these are examined in detail.

Also explored is the liberation of Bayeux on 7 June 1944 and the reasons why the town was not destined to be crushed by the Allied invasion.

The book offers a new perspective on the four other Gaullist visits to Bayeux. As Charles de Gaulle himself might have said: "vaste programme." Avoiding anachronism, let it be noted that any resemblance to contemporary figures or current events is purely coincidental. These five visits had a far deeper and more significant national reach and influence than one might imagine. The return of the legitimate state, national unity, the call for a strong state, respect in greatness, tutelary independence, confidence and prosperity in a modern France — all of this is rooted in Bayeux.

The author, for his part, restores the facts by challenging certain aspects of received truth. He hopes that this book will enrich current historiography, capture the interest of readers, and prove of some use to future researchers. In a spirit of fidelity to the very etymology of the word "History", let us plunge into this investigation!