Among the famous speeches that marked the 20th century is the one broadcasted from London by General Charles de Gaulle in 1940 shortly after the Vichy regime in France had been established. A government in exile that remained focused on resistance to the Nazi-German occupation had found a new leadership that was able to rally people to support the relentless ambition to free Framce from Nazi occupation again. The remarks on the manuscript by De Gaulle are surprising in the many lines that were crossed out by him to sharpen his discourse. Every word counted, The focus remained on clarity of the message. This was certainly part of the mobilizing force. Weigh thy words carefully, I would say. A clear message needs few words, (Image: BNF L’Europe en partage, Paris 2025).
