The Liberation of Paris: A City Freed

August 1944. The Allies were racing across France after the breakout from Normandy. The French Resistance, which had been waiting for this moment, rose up against the German garrison in Paris. Barricades went up in the streets. The sound of gunfire echoed through the city for the first time since 1940. The Germans planned to destroy Paris. Hitler ordered bridges and monuments blown up. General Dietrich von Choltitz, the German commander, faced a choice. He could follow orders and destroy one of the world's great cities. Or he could surrender. He chose surrender. On August 25, French forces entered the city. General Charles de Gaulle walked down the Champs-Élysées to Notre Dame while crowds cheered and snipers still lurked on rooftops. The liberation of Paris was more than a military victory. It was a symbol. The dark years of occupation were over. The French could breathe again. The cafes reopened. Music played in the streets. People kissed the Allied soldiers who had come to free them. The joy was overwhelming. But the war wasn't over. There was still fighting ahead. For one moment though, Paris was free, and the world celebrated with it.