# Liberation of Paris (1944)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1944-liberation-of-paris
Location: Paris
Categories: battle, main-event

French and Allied forces entered the capital after resistance uprising and German surrender. Within the broader Occupation, Liberation & Fourth Republic period, Defeat in 1940 divided France between Vichy, occupation and resistance. Liberation restored republican government, followed by reconstruction, welfare-state building, European integration and violent decolonization under the Fourth Republic. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Charles de Gaulle (Leader of the Provisional Government). Liberation of Paris mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Liberation of Paris mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Charles de Gaulle](https://history-france.com/rulers/charles-de-gaulle-1940)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Liberation of Paris](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Liberation+of+Paris&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Liberation of Paris](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Liberation+of+Paris)
- [Vie-publique — French institutions and history](https://www.vie-publique.fr/)