In the year of 1940, The Second World War Officially began.

This all started with the German in asion of !oland in 19"1, and it wo#ld contin#e for many years to follow. $any terrible things occ#rred d#ring The Second World War thro#gho#t the world, b#t as an %merican, it is m#ch easier to find and st#dy what occ#rred in %merica. Sometimes the things that ha&&ened in '#ro&ean co#ntries, s#ch as (rance, are not disc#ssed as highly, and that is why it is so im&ortant to consider. (rance &layed a h#ge &art in this time &eriod in history, and it definitely deser es to be e)&lored by those who are (rench and es&ecially those who are not. In the year 1940, (rench finally was forced to s#rrender to *a+i Germany after many years of the Germans, tyranny s&reading thro#gho#t '#ro&e. -eca#se the (rench were forced to s#rrender to the Germans, the *a+is too. o er a h#ge amo#nt of land in (rance, at least /three fifths of their land,0 1(rance 2#ring World War II 13. %fter the occ#&ation of Germany, the (rench had to ma.e a &lan to s#r i e and &er&et#ate their co#ntry. The (rench organi+ed a new form of go ernment #nder the r#le of *a+i Germany, and it was called 4ichy (rance. % man by the name of 5enri !hilli&e !6tain led this new go ernment, 113. Thro#gho#t the co#ntry there were resistance efforts among radical gro#&s in order to show their &atriotism for (rance and fight for their freedom. Some of these were s#ccessf#l, and other e ents and trials failed miserably. 5#ndreds of tho#sands of ci ilians were .illed by bombs and other ways of tort#re. This is the most de astating as&ect of the war is the loss of so many h#man li es. Whether (rench or %merican, many li es were lost d#ring The Second World War among many occ#rrences. Once these co#ntries decided that they sho#ld wor. together, they bonded and decided to ta.e a stand against *a+i Germany7 that is one of

the most interesting as&ects of the war. % bond between the (rench and %mericans was created d#ring this war that history will ne er let the two ery different co#ntries forget. ' en tho#gh the (rench and %mericans en8oy reali+ing their differences in today,s world, the last thing that was on either gro#&,s mind d#ring World War Two was obsessing o er something so insignificant. % ma8or e ent that led mostly to the collaboration of the two co#ntries was called 292ay, or in (rench, :o#r9:. This day mar.s the liberation of (rance by the %merican troo&s who in aded the (rench beaches at *ormandy on :#ne ;, 1944. %fter The Second World War was officially o er in the end of 194<, the entire world was affected by the e ents that s&anned o er ten years of de astation. %ll the co#ntries in ol ed were changed by the war, and some e en remain changed today. (rance and the =nited States ali.e remember the e ents of the terrible time in history, and this tragedy mar.s the histories of both of these co#ntries fore er. While both co#ntries ha e reb#ilt since the early 1900,s, (rance and %merica sho#ld always be than.f#l for the &artnershi& they shared d#ring s#ch an awf#l time, and they sho#ld remember that if e er needed, that they co#ld s#rely &artner again.

Works Cited/Referenced /(rance 2#ring World War II0. Bonjour La France: Plan Your French Adventure. >? $arch >014. Web. /(rance @ World War II0. youtube.com. >? $arch >014. Web. Sis.in, :ay 5., Williams, %nn, and Thomas T. (ield. Dbuts: An Introduction to French.

*ew Aor.B $cGraw95ill Com&anies Inc., >010. !age >11. !rint.