Early August 1944, allied forces who had landed in Normandy on June 6, were already counting their second month in fighting against German troops who would all but let go French territory.

On August 15, a 400 000-man Franco-American army landed in Provence , and resolutely forged their way towards Toulon and Marseille.

French citizens, especially those of Paris , who with indignity lived through this gloomy period while inwardly seething with rage, became impatient. They too wanted to contribute to the liberation of their land. On August 18, the Internal French Forces (Forces Françaises de l’Intérieur) called for a revolt.

French flags were hoisted on public buildings. The police went on strike; sit-ins were staged at some town halls and several police stations. Skirmishes broke out with the German troops.

Informed of these events, Führer Adolf Hitler immediately ordered General Von Scholtitz, commander of the greater part of Paris , to burn down and destroy the French capital.

The nearest allied troops, which could confront the 20 000 soldiers, 80 armoured and 60 cannons of the German army present in the capital, were still 200 kilometres away. The liberation of Paris did not constitute a priority to the Allied High Command.

With insufficient arms and equipment, Parisians decided to revolt. Though legitimate, this action turned out to be too premature and irrational as it almost plunged the French capital into the kind of disaster that struck Warsaw at that same period. This heroic Polish capital, which the Red Army, even though camping just at its gates, failed to rescue during the Warsaw revolt, was destroyed.

If Paris had not become the heap of rubble the Führer had ordered, it was thanks to two factors. First, General Leclerc’s expeditious initiative to force-march one of his division’s light armoured units into Paris against instructions he had received from the 3rd American Army to which he was attached. Secondly, the Swedish Consul personally entered into negotiations with General Von Scholtitz. The latter consequently decided to save the French capital in defiance of the Führer’s strong orders.

On August 23, 1944, Leclerc’s Division, having finally received orders from General Bradley to march into Paris , hit the road with enthusiasm in a bid to cover the 200 kilometres separating them from the capital in no time. Rapid action became the topmost priority, surpassing all issues of strategy or safety.

At 1p.m. on 23rd August, Leclerc and his men were already at Rambouillet. On the 24th at 2p.m., they reached the Bièvre valley, at 7p.m., they had gone passed Fresnes and la Croix de Berny, and at 9p.m. they crossed the Sèvres Bridge at Boulogne .

Leclerc in Paris

Their progression was intermittently punctuated with fierce confrontations from German troops who laid in ambush.

Finally, at 8:45 p.m., Captain Dronne’s detachment entered Paris through the Italian gateway. Then, taking the road through the Austerlitz Bridge and the Seine banks, they advanced towards the town hall where they arrived at 9p.m.

During the multiple-front clashes that ensued, the resistance of the German troops turn out to sag quite fast. Everywhere, the anxiety of the previous days was giving way to euphoria - a memory which could never scraped off by time from the minds of these soldiers who brought freedom to the inhabitants of Paris.

Paris liberated!

The surrender act was signed on August 25, 1944, at 4:15 p.m. at the Montparnasse train station by General Von Scholtitz, in the presence of General Leclerc, Jacques Chaban Delmas, Rol Tanguy and Colonel Billotte.

Sporadic fighting, however, still continued for three days.

The liberation of Paris claimed the over 1000 French lives - civilians and servicemen, soldiers and resistance fighters. As for the injured, they numbered about 8000.

On August 26, came the triumphant Champs Elysées march by General de Gaulle and the Leclerc Division, amidst a crowd in total jubilation.

Paris was free at last.

• 60th anniversary - The liberation of Paris