French movement to continue warfare against Germany after France's 1940 defeat in World War II .
Led by Resistance movement in France and the defection of many Vichy France troops stationed in North Africa. After a power struggle with Henri Honore Giraud , commander in chief of French forces in North Africa, de Gaulle succeeded by 1944 in controlling the entire French war effort. The 300,000 Free French forces took part in the Allied invasions of southern France and Normandy (see {{link=Normandy Campaign">Normandy Campaign ) and were the first Allied troops to liberate Paris.