The Battle of France was a decisive victory for Germany. The German army quickly overran France, and the French government was forced to evacuate to London. The armistice of June 22, 1940, divided France into two zones: a German-occupied zone in the north and west, and a "free zone" in the south.
The Free French Forces were a military organization formed by French exiles in London after the fall of France. The Free French Forces were led by General Charles de Gaulle, who became the provisional president of France in 1944.
The French Resistance was a clandestine movement that opposed the German occupation of France. The French Resistance was active in both the occupied zone and the free zone. The Resistance movement carried out sabotage operations, ambushed German troops, and provided intelligence to the Allied forces.
The Liberation of France began with the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. The Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy and began to push inland. The French Resistance helped the Allies by sabotaging German supply lines and conducting guerrilla warfare.
Paris was liberated by the Allied forces on August 25, 1944. The liberation of Paris was a major turning point in the war in Europe. It showed that the Allies were capable of defeating the German army and that the end of the war was near.
The war in Europe ended with the German surrender on May 8, 1945. France had played a vital role in the Allied victory. The French people had fought bravely against the German occupation, and the French Resistance had played a key role in the liberation of France.
After the war, France was one of the founding members of the United Nations. France also played a leading role in the creation of the European Economic Community (EEC), which later became the European Union (EU).