Chronology of the Liberation

• Tuesday 15 August 1944 - Strike of the Police and métro.
• Wednesday 16 - Postal strike.
• Thursday 17 - Radio-Paris ends transmissions.
  • The BBC announces the occupation of Chartres, Dreux and Orléans.
  • Debates at the C.N.R., C.P.L. and C.O.M.A.C. regarding the opportunities for starting an insurrection.
  • 12h30 - Raoul Nordling, Swedish Consul General consul signs an agreement at the Hôtel Majestic and takes custody of political detainees.
  • 18h30 - Pierre Laval presides over the last meeting of Ministers.
  • 19h30 - Maréchal Pétain is ``invited'' by the Germans to leave for the East.
  • 22h - Pierre Laval charges the Préfet de la Seine and the Préfet de Police to represent the government.
  • 23h30 - Pierre Laval leaves the Hôtel Matignon for a destination in the east with a German escort.
• Friday 18 (morning) - No edition of the collaborationist press.
  • Strike of the PTT (Post, Telephone and Telegraph).
  • Afternoon - Notices and posters of Colonel Rol and elected communists proclaiming a general mobilization and calling the people of Paris to an insurrection, appear on the walls of the city.
• Saturday 19 - The first combat of the insurrection.
  • Occupation of the municipal buildings, ministries, newspaper offices.
  • 8h - The Resistance occupies the Prefecture of Police.
  • 8h15 - Maréchal Pétain leaves Vichy for the East, under a German escort.
  • 11h - C.N.R. and the C.P.L. and make an appeal for an insurrection.
  • 11h15 - Luizet assumes the functions of Préfet de Police.
  • 13h - Parodi puts all of the forces of the Resistance under the orders of Colonel Rol.
  • After 14h - German attack against the Préfecture de Police.
  • 15h30 - Germans attack the town hall of Neuilly.
  • 17h30 - At the instigation of Nordling, General von Choltitz, makes initial contact with the Resistance.
  • 18h - Parodi gives the order to evacuate the Préfecture de police.
  • 20h40 - A cease-fire of 45 minutes is agreed upon at the Préfecture de police.
  • 21h40 The cease-fire is extended until the next day.
  • 23h - 24h - Attack of the Hôtel de Ville is planned.
• Sunday 20 - Street combat continues.
  • The Americans enter Fontainbleau and cross the Seine at Mantes.
  • Morning - Général de Gaulle, flies from Cherbourg to General Eisenhower near Mans.
  • 6h15 - Occupation of the Hôtel de Ville.
  • 9h - Negotiations at the Swedish Consulate toward extending the cease-fire.
  • 10h30 - The C.N.R. accepts the cease-fire extension.
  • 14h15 - Colonel Lizé declairs all discussions with the enemy as an ``act of treason.''
  • 14h45 - Arrest of Parodi.
  • 15h30 - Loudspeaker trucks from the Préfecture de police announce the cease-fire.
  • 17h - Flouret assumes his functions at the Préfecture de la Seine.
  • 18h30 - Parodi is released.
  • 24h - The C.O.M.A.C. and adopts a memorandum against the cease-fire.
• Monday 21 - Despite the cease-fire, street combat continues.
  • 11h - The C.P.L. proposes ending the cease-fire.
  • 12h - Général Leclerc sends a preliminary detachment toward Paris.
  • End of the afternoon - Newspapers of the Resistance sold.
  • 19 h - The C.N.R. decides to end the cease-fire.
  • 19h30 - Colonel Lizé gives the order to strengthen the barricades.
• Tuesday 22 - Fighting in the streets reach its maximum intensity.
  • Paris becomes covered with barricades.
  • 9h - Commandant F.F.I. Gallois arrives at the HQ of General Bradley.
  • 10h - 12h - General Eisenhower receives Generals Bradley and Koenig.
  • Meeting of the General Secretaries at the Hôtel Matignon; presided over by Parodi.
  • 15h30 Proclamation of Colonel Rol.
  • 18h - Nordling mission to the Allies leaves
  • 19h15 - General Bradley gives Général Leclerc the order to march on Paris.
• Wednesday 23 - Street combat less frequent than the day before.
  • General von Choltitz receives the order calling for the maximum destruction of Paris.
  • 6h30 - The 2nd French Armored Division drives toward Paris.
  • 9h - Grand Palais is burned.
  • 12h30 - French radio in London prematurely announces the liberation of Paris.
  • Afternoon - General von Choltitz threatens to attack the public buildings with heavy arms.
• Thursday 24 - Street combat is less vigorous than the day before.
  • 7h - The 2nd French Armored Division leaves the region around Rambouillent and d'Arpajon. It advances while in combat the entire day.
  • 19h - The group under Billotte arrives at the crossing Croix-de-Berny.
  • 20h - French radio's announcement of the arrival of the 2nd French Armored Division leads to enthusiasm among the people.
  • 20h45 - Captain Dronne arrives at the Hôtel de Ville with a few tanks.
  • 21h30 - The group under Langlande arrives at the Pont de Sèvres.
  • 23h - German batteries on the Longchamp fire on the 15th arrondissement.
• Friday 25, 7h45 - Billotte's group enters Paris.
  • 10h - Colonel Billotte sends an ultimatum ( version 1 , version 2 ) to General von Choltitz.
  • 14h - Langlade's group arrives at Place de l'Etoile.
  • 14h30 - Discussions at the Majestic Hotel.
  • 14h45 - Discussions with General von Choltitz regarding capitulation at the Préfecture de police.
  • 15h30 - General von Choltitz signs the act of surrender at the Préfecture de police.
  • 16h15 Général de Gaulle arrives at the Gare Montparnasse.
  • 17h20 - Discussion regarding German strongholds in the city.
  • 19h - Général de Gaulle is received at the Hôtel de Ville, and delivers speech (Française / English).
• Saturday 26 - Colonel Roumianzoff pushes elements of the 2nd French Armored Division in the North of Paris.
  • 11h30 - Cardinal Suhard is asked to not preside over the ceremony at Notre Dame.
  • 15h - 15h45 - Général de Gaulle is acclaimed by the people of Paris as he walks from the Arc de Triomphe to Notre Dame.
  • 15h45 - A fusillade rings out at the place du Parvis Notre-Dame and at numerous other points of the march.
  • 23h45 Arial bombardment of Paris.
• Sunday 27 - Leclerc's division attains northern front of Paris at Aulnay-sous-Bois, Blanc, Mesnil, Dugny, Pierrefitte, Montmorency.
• Monday 28 - The 2nd French Armored Division moves beyond the Gennevilliers loop and attains Gonesse.
• Tuesday 29 - The 28th US Infantry Division marches down the Champs Elysées and into combat that same day.
• Thursday 31 - The seat of the Provisional Government is transferred to Paris.

Return to Paris Libéré Home Page.