General de Gaulle’s grandsons donate to the state of the manuscript of the appeal of June 18-Liberation
The text proudly sits between the walls of the Artcurial auction house, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. Maintained right, under a huge photo of Charles de Gaullethe manuscript of The call of June 18, 1940 is about to be taken to his new residence. This June 12, 2025, with almost 1,300 other general documents, he will join the Soubise hotel, the historic headquarters of National Archives.
« It is obvious that it is up to the French State to recover this document representing a national act of importance both symbolic at the beginning, and of freedom afterwards »,, proudly declares Yves de Gaulle, grandson of the general during the discount ceremony. His three brothers, Charles, Jean and Pierre, are also by his side to honor this moment. Almost 85 years ago, their ancestor gave a speech in London, on BBC, In response to that of Marshal Pétain. He called for resistance Against the capitulation of the French army Faced with the Germans.
« I give our national archives to the national archives »proudly greets the eldest of siblings, Charles de Gaulle, namesake of the grandfather. This transmission is a will of the general, affirms the family. « He knew himself a statesman, he knew himself a man of history and he was perfectly obvious to him that everything that concerned his action as a statesman belongs to the history of France. »
The two retrato-verso leaves behind Charles de Gaulle’s speech are yellowed by time. Between the erasures, we distinguish in the writing of the statesman of the statesman, words which have entered history: « Whatever happens, The flame of French resistance should not go out and will not go out. « « He was a man of letters as much as a man of the army »Marie-Françoise Limon-Bonnet, director of the National Archives.
His words will be exhibited for two months at the headquarters of the national archives, and visible free of charge by all. The text will then be kept in « Iron cabinet » : a three-door safe where are located « The emblematic documents of our History France »explains Bruno Ricard, head of the inter -ministerial archives service. There is for example the will of Louis XIV.
The 1,300 archives will be restored and put in lines, so that « Everyone can have access to it »assures Marie-Françoise Limon-Bonnet. Among the vegetable documents are « 70 letters from Georges Pompidou to General de Gaulle, who range from 1946 to 1969 ». « A gold mine for historians »exclaims Yves de Gaulle, delighted.
General de Gaulle’s June 18 call has long been preserved by Yvonne de Gaulle, his wife. « He was in a safe to which we did not have access, I had never seen him »assures Yves de Gaulle, who was still aware of his existence. The text resurfaced at the time of the death of Admiral Philippe de Gaulle, Son of the general, before being kept in the house of Artcurial auction. This manuscript is the only real archive of the event, because no sound or television recording was made on June 18.
