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  • England, United Kingdom
    Jun, 1940
    Winston Churchill

    Churchill ordered the formation of both the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Commandos

    England, United Kingdom
    Jun, 1940

    In other initiatives through June and July 1940, Churchill ordered the formation of both the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Commandos. The SOE was ordered to promote and execute the subversive activity in Nazi-occupied Europe while the Commandos were charged with raids on specific military targets there. Hugh Dalton, the Minister of Economic Warfare, took political responsibility for the SOE and recorded in his diary that Churchill told him: "And now go and set Europe ablaze".




  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Sunday Jun 9, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    De Gaulle flew to London and met British Prime Minister Winston Churchill

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Sunday Jun 9, 1940

    On 9 June, De Gaulle flew to London and met British Prime Minister Winston Churchill for the first time. It was thought that half a million men could be evacuated to French North Africa, provided the British and French navies and air forces coordinated their efforts.




  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Monday Jun 10, 1940
    Marcus Garvey

    Death

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Monday Jun 10, 1940

    Garvey then suffered a second stroke and died at the age of 52 on 10 June 1940.




  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Sunday Jun 16, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    De Gaulle talked about Jean Monnet's mooted Anglo-French political union

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Sunday Jun 16, 1940

    On the afternoon of Sunday, 16 June de Gaulle was at 10 Downing Street for talks about Jean Monnet's mooted Anglo-French political union. He telephoned Reynaud – they were cut off during the conversation and had to resume later – with the news that the British had agreed.




  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Monday Jun 17, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    De Gaulle escaped to London

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Monday Jun 17, 1940

    At around 09:00 on the morning of 17 June, he flew to London on a British aircraft with Edward Spears. The escape was hair-raising.




  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Tuesday Jun 18, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    British Cabinet was reluctant to agree to de Gaulle giving a radio address

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Tuesday Jun 18, 1940

    British Cabinet was reluctant to agree to de Gaulle giving a radio address, as Britain was still in communication with the Pétain government about the fate of the French fleet. Duff Cooper had an advance copy of the text of the address, to which there were no objections.




  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Tuesday Jun 18, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    De Gaulle's Appeal to continue to resist the occupation of France

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Tuesday Jun 18, 1940

    De Gaulle's Appeal of 18 June exhorted the French people not to be demoralized and to continue to resist the occupation of France. He also – apparently on his own initiative – declared that he would broadcast again the next day.


  • London
    Wednesday Jun 19, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    De Gaulle denied the legitimacy of the government at Bordeaux

    London
    Wednesday Jun 19, 1940

    In his next broadcast on 19 June de Gaulle denied the legitimacy of the government at Bordeaux. He called on the North African troops to live up to the tradition of Bertrand Clausel, Thomas Robert Bugeaud, and Hubert Lyautey by defying orders from Bordeaux. The British Foreign Office protested to Churchill.


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Sunday Jun 23, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    British Government denounced the armistice

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Sunday Jun 23, 1940

    On 23 June the British Government denounced the armistice as a breach of the Anglo-French treaty signed in March and stated that they no longer regarded the Bordeaux Government as a fully independent state. They also "took note" of the plan to establish a French National Committee (FNC) in exile, but did not mention de Gaulle by name.


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Sunday Jun 23, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    Jean Monnet broke with de Gaulle

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Sunday Jun 23, 1940

    Jean Monnet broke with de Gaulle on 23 June, as he thought his appeal was "too personal" and went too far, and that French opinion would not rally to a man who was seen to be operating from British soil.


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Monday Jun 24, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    De Gaulle broadcast again

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Monday Jun 24, 1940

    De Gaulle broadcast again on 24 June after Monnet soon resigned as head of the Inter-Allied Commission and departed for the US.


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Wednesday Jun 26, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    De Gaulle wrote to Churchill demanding recognition of his French Committee

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Wednesday Jun 26, 1940

    On 26 June de Gaulle wrote to Churchill demanding recognition of his French Committee.


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Friday Jun 28, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    The British Government recognized de Gaulle as leader of the Free French

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Friday Jun 28, 1940

    On 28 June, after Churchill's envoys had failed to establish contact with the French leaders in North Africa, the British Government recognized de Gaulle as leader of the Free French, despite the reservations of Halifax and Cadogan at the foreign office.


  • England, United Kingdom
    Jun, 1940
    Winston Churchill

    Churchill ordered the formation of both the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Commandos

    England, United Kingdom
    Jun, 1940

    In other initiatives through June and July 1940, Churchill ordered the formation of both the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Commandos. The SOE was ordered to promote and execute the subversive activity in Nazi-occupied Europe while the Commandos were charged with raids on specific military targets there. Hugh Dalton, the Minister of Economic Warfare, took political responsibility for the SOE and recorded in his diary that Churchill told him: "And now go and set Europe ablaze".


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Sunday Jun 9, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    De Gaulle flew to London and met British Prime Minister Winston Churchill

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Sunday Jun 9, 1940

    On 9 June, De Gaulle flew to London and met British Prime Minister Winston Churchill for the first time. It was thought that half a million men could be evacuated to French North Africa, provided the British and French navies and air forces coordinated their efforts.


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Monday Jun 10, 1940
    Marcus Garvey

    Death

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Monday Jun 10, 1940

    Garvey then suffered a second stroke and died at the age of 52 on 10 June 1940.


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Sunday Jun 16, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    De Gaulle talked about Jean Monnet's mooted Anglo-French political union

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Sunday Jun 16, 1940

    On the afternoon of Sunday, 16 June de Gaulle was at 10 Downing Street for talks about Jean Monnet's mooted Anglo-French political union. He telephoned Reynaud – they were cut off during the conversation and had to resume later – with the news that the British had agreed.


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Monday Jun 17, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    De Gaulle escaped to London

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Monday Jun 17, 1940

    At around 09:00 on the morning of 17 June, he flew to London on a British aircraft with Edward Spears. The escape was hair-raising.


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Tuesday Jun 18, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    British Cabinet was reluctant to agree to de Gaulle giving a radio address

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Tuesday Jun 18, 1940

    British Cabinet was reluctant to agree to de Gaulle giving a radio address, as Britain was still in communication with the Pétain government about the fate of the French fleet. Duff Cooper had an advance copy of the text of the address, to which there were no objections.


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Tuesday Jun 18, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    De Gaulle's Appeal to continue to resist the occupation of France

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Tuesday Jun 18, 1940

    De Gaulle's Appeal of 18 June exhorted the French people not to be demoralized and to continue to resist the occupation of France. He also – apparently on his own initiative – declared that he would broadcast again the next day.


  • London
    Wednesday Jun 19, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    De Gaulle denied the legitimacy of the government at Bordeaux

    London
    Wednesday Jun 19, 1940

    In his next broadcast on 19 June de Gaulle denied the legitimacy of the government at Bordeaux. He called on the North African troops to live up to the tradition of Bertrand Clausel, Thomas Robert Bugeaud, and Hubert Lyautey by defying orders from Bordeaux. The British Foreign Office protested to Churchill.


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Sunday Jun 23, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    British Government denounced the armistice

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Sunday Jun 23, 1940

    On 23 June the British Government denounced the armistice as a breach of the Anglo-French treaty signed in March and stated that they no longer regarded the Bordeaux Government as a fully independent state. They also "took note" of the plan to establish a French National Committee (FNC) in exile, but did not mention de Gaulle by name.


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Sunday Jun 23, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    Jean Monnet broke with de Gaulle

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Sunday Jun 23, 1940

    Jean Monnet broke with de Gaulle on 23 June, as he thought his appeal was "too personal" and went too far, and that French opinion would not rally to a man who was seen to be operating from British soil.


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Monday Jun 24, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    De Gaulle broadcast again

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Monday Jun 24, 1940

    De Gaulle broadcast again on 24 June after Monnet soon resigned as head of the Inter-Allied Commission and departed for the US.


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Wednesday Jun 26, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    De Gaulle wrote to Churchill demanding recognition of his French Committee

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Wednesday Jun 26, 1940

    On 26 June de Gaulle wrote to Churchill demanding recognition of his French Committee.


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Friday Jun 28, 1940
    Charles de Gaulle

    The British Government recognized de Gaulle as leader of the Free French

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Friday Jun 28, 1940

    On 28 June, after Churchill's envoys had failed to establish contact with the French leaders in North Africa, the British Government recognized de Gaulle as leader of the Free French, despite the reservations of Halifax and Cadogan at the foreign office.


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