This year the world pays 80th tribute to General de Gaulle’s address to free France, urging French people to resist and join him
The Appeal of 18 June was the first speech made by Charles de Gaulle after his arrival in London in 1940 following the Fall of France. Broadcast to France by the radio services of the British Broadcasting Corporation, it is often considered to have represented the origin of the French Resistance in World War II.
General de Gaulle’s speech
“The leaders who, for many years, have been at the head of the French armies have formed a government. This government, alleging the defeat of our armies, has made contact with the enemy in order to stop the fighting. It is true, we were, we are, overwhelmed by the mechanical, ground and air forces of the enemy. Infinitely more than their number, it is the tanks, the aeroplanes, the tactics of the Germans which are causing us to retreat. It was the tanks, the aeroplanes, the tactics of the Germans that surprised our leaders to the point of bringing them to where they are today.
But has the last word been said? Must hope disappear? Is defeat final? No!
Believe me, I who am speaking to you with full knowledge of the facts, and who tell you that nothing is lost for France. The same means that overcame us can bring us victory one day. For France is not alone! She is not alone! She is not alone! She has a vast Empire behind her. She can align with the British Empire that holds the sea and continues the fight. She can, like England, use without limit the immense industry of the United States.
This war is not limited to the unfortunate territory of our country. This war is not over as a result of the Battle of France. This war is a world war. All the mistakes, all the delays, all the suffering, do not alter the fact that there are, in the world, all the means necessary to crush our enemies one day. Vanquished today by mechanical force, in the future we will be able to overcome by a superior mechanical force. The fate of the world depends on it.
I, General de Gaulle, currently in London, invite the officers and the French soldiers who are located in British territory or who might end up here, with their weapons or without their weapons, I invite the engineers and the specialised workers of the armament industries who are located in British territory or who might end up here, to put themselves in contact with me.
Whatever happens, the flame of the French resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished. Tomorrow, as today, I will speak on the radio from London.”
French Government Press Office
Monnaie de Paris unveils General de Gaulle commemorative coins
A leader of Free France during the Second World War, author of the appeal for resistance of June 18, 1940, then instigator of the Fifth Republic, of which he was the first president from 1959 to 1969, Charles de Gaulle was one of the most emblematic figures of the 20th century.
On the occasion of the 130th anniversary of his birth, the 50th anniversary of his death, and the 80th anniversary of the Appeal of June 18, celebrated in 2020, Monnaie de Paris unveils a 2€ commemorative coin, two 10€ silver coins, one 100€ silver coin, and a miniset with the effigy of General de Gaulle.
2€ commemorative coin
The face of this coin represents Charles de Gaulle thanks to two engravings of his profile. These two engravings commemorate two important aspects of his life: his military and his political career. The Lorraine cross, representing the freedom and unification of France, also appears on the obverse of the coin. This cross was directly associated with General de Gaulle and was also erected at his memorial in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises.
10€ silver coins
The face of this coin represents Charles de Gaulle thanks to two engravings of his profile. These two engravings commemorate two important aspects of his life: his military and his political career. The Lorraine cross, representing the freedom and unification of France, also appears on the obverse of the coin. This cross was directly associated with General de Gaulle and was also erected at his memorial in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises.
Monnaie de Paris
The Appeal of 18 June helped lend credibility to radio
The Appeal of 18 June is one of the most remarkable pieces in the history of radio broadcasting. Radio was no longer just a means of entertainment or propaganda available to the powers that be; it also now provided the technical means to enable an isolated individual to launch a huge resistance movement from outside his own country, to urge his fellow citizens to oppose foreign rule and subservience and to fight for the restoration of freedoms. The power and universality of this medium require no further proof.
The Appeal of 18 June helped to lend credibility to radio. Less than 20 years after it had been invented, radio not only became the launching pad for the fight against oppression, but also provided a new form of historical archive.
UNESCO
