General de Gaulle working in his office in London
Free France was proclaimed on June 14th in 1940 by General Charles de Gaulle in London and acknowledged as the legitimate government-in-exile on June 25th by Winston Churchill. Thus, the counterpart to Nazi Satellite Vichy France under Philippe Pétain was standing. However, its future seemed dark - just a few thousand Soldiers had followed de Gaulle into his Exile. Of the huge French colonial empire, only tiny St. Helena sided with him in June. At the very least, after Operation Grasp, he got a non-ngelectable navy.
