Word: beirut
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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From Brazzaville, his capital in French Equatorial Africa, General Charles de Gaulle flew to Lebanon and Syria last week to congratulate his victorious troops. Resplendent in uniform, accompanied by his field general, Georges Catroux, Free Frenchman De Gaulle made a ceremonial entry into a Beirut decorated with many a Cross of Lorraine. In the street...
...Above Beirut's Place des Canons last week R.A.F. planes roared and caracoled. Before the Grand Serail (Vichy Government headquarters) was drawn up a guard of British cavalry and Free French marines, all spit & polish. Inside, in the reception room, besides the conquering Allied generals waited 20-odd foreign consuls; native political leaders; sheiks in wimples; religious dignitaries from the country's many Moslem and Christian sects. They waited in vain for Admiral Pierre Victor Gabriel Gouton (acting for General Henri Fernand Dentz, Vichy's High Commissioner) to come out and say goodby...
General Dentz did not attend the farewell party. He was up the coast at Tripoli, superintending the evacuation of his troops, presumably glad to go back to France with a whole hide. According to U.P.'s Harold Peters, who was in Beirut during the whole campaign, the General had to change his residence every night because of popular feeling against...
During the 33-day war the Vichy forces suffered some 9,000 casualties, the Allies some 1,500. Most of these casualties could have been avoided. In mid-June, before the fall of Damascus, Vichy armistice feelers were issued to the Allies through U.S. Consul General Cornelius Engert in Beirut. Next day the British replied, offering generous terms, but the Nazis put pressure on Vichy, and the futile fighting continued nearly another month...
Said a Vichy captain to Correspondent Peters during Beirut's siege: "Nous nous battons pour le Roi de Prusse" (We are fighting for the King of Prussia...