Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque

Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque was a French Army officer and Free French commander who led the 2nd Armored Division in the liberation of Paris and later commanded French forces in Indochina.

Battle of Kufra: A 1941 Free French victory in Libya that secured the Kufra oasis and helped establish the movement’s military presence in North Africa. Leclerc’s column captured Kufra, where he pledged to raise the French flag over Strasbourg.
Charles de Gaulle: A French general and statesman who led Free France during World War II and later founded the Fifth Republic. De Gaulle appointed Leclerc to command Free French forces and entrusted him with the Paris advance.
Free France: The political and military movement led by Charles de Gaulle that continued the French fight against the Axis after 1940. Leclerc became one of Free France’s most prominent field commanders.
Liberation of France: The Allied and French campaigns that ended German occupation of France during 1944–1945. Leclerc’s 1944 operations became part of the wider liberation of occupied France.
Battle of Normandy: The 1944 Allied campaign to establish a foothold in German-occupied France after the D-Day landings. After landing in Normandy, Leclerc’s division advanced across France toward Paris.
Jean de Lattre de Tassigny: A French general who commanded forces in the final European campaigns of World War II and later led French forces in Indochina. De Lattre succeeded Leclerc as commander in Indochina in 1950.
French Army: The land warfare branch of France’s armed forces. Leclerc’s career unfolded within the French Army, from officer training to overseas command.
French colonial empire: The overseas territories ruled by France at different times from the sixteenth century through the twentieth century. Leclerc’s Indochina command took place amid France’s attempt to restore colonial authority.
Liberation of Paris: The August 1944 uprising and Allied military operation that ended German occupation of Paris. Leclerc’s 2nd Armored Division entered the city and accepted the German surrender.
Jacques-Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque: The birth name of the French officer known as Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque. Leclerc adopted the name Leclerc as his wartime identity and later received authorization to combine it with his family name.

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Free French ForcesRelated: His campaigns in Africa and France made him one of the movement’s most prominent commanders.