On August 25, 1944, 80 years ago today, Paris was liberated from the Germans who had occupied France for four years. But the city could have seen a completely different end to the war. As Allied troops moved east across France, Hitler was driven into a frenzy, and declared he wanted to see Paris burned to the ground before it fell into Allied hands. What Hitler didn't know was that General Eisenhower had drawn plans to bypass the city as they drove the Germans to the east because the Allies were low on fuel. On August 19, the Allies plus Free French fighters from the liberated territory were only 150 miles from Paris, so the French Resistance suddenly rose up and revolted against their occupiers. The German Army was low on men, and the Resistance was low on ammunition, but like the Allied fuel supply, none of this information was shared with the enemy.
But one secret was. A German officer who was stalling on Hitler's orders to burn Paris made a calculated risk to bring Eisenhower and his troops into the city. Read the details of the last-ditch efforts of the French Resistance and what happened to keep Paris from being destroyed at Smithsonian.
(Image credit: Jack Downey, U.S. Office of War Information)
