The Liberation of Paris (August 1944)

The liberation of Paris took place from 19 August 1944 until the German garrison surrendered the French capital on 25 August 1944. Paris had been occupied by the German Wehrmacht since June 1940.

0:00 Crossing a military pontoon bridge
2:44 Simone Segouin (born 3 October 1925), also known by her nom de guerre Nicole Minet (French Resistance fighter who served in the Francs-tireurs et partisans group)
4:26 Director George Stevens, lieutenant colonel, head of the film unit in the US Army Signal Corps
7:18 General Charles de Gaulle and General (Jacques-Philippe) Leclerc de Hauteclocque
9:04 Hotel Scribe
11:54 Sniper attack
12:39 Parade on August 26
13:03 General Charles de Gaulle arriving at the parade
13:07 General Omar N. Bradley
14:40 Behind the generals "Luxor Obelisk" partially visible, with General Raymond Oscar Barton standing left

Please help us to document this rare historical footage that we scanned in HD-resolution by sending us your comments below if you recognise places, persons, uniforms, machines etc. Don't forget to mention the timecode (mm:ss) to which you are referring in your comment. Every comment will be evaluated!

Music track "Ground Zero" by courtesy of Antoine Marsaud

Music track "Revolution" by courtesy of Antoine Marsaud

The liberation began when the French Forces of the Interior (the military structure of the French Resistance) staged an uprising against the German garrison upon the approach of the US Third Army, led by General George Patton. On the night of 24 August, elements of General Philippe Leclerc's 2nd French Armored Division made their way into Paris and arrived at the Hôtel de Ville shortly before midnight. The next morning, 25 August, the bulk of the 2nd Armored Division and US 4th Infantry Division and other allied units entered the city. Dietrich von Choltitz, commander of the German garrison and the military governor of Paris, surrendered to the French at the Hôtel Le Meurice, the newly established French headquarters. General Charles de Gaulle of the French Army arrived to assume control of the city as head of the Provisional Government of the French Republic.

[nunyabiznez]

My grandfather's brother entered Paris on the 2nd day of the liberation and described being overwhelmed by hundreds of Parisian girls, many of whom were teenagers, all trying to kiss him, offer him gifts and many offering to marry him. One particularly young girl my uncle believed to be 13 or 14 thanked him, threw her arms around him and invited him to her house for dinner. He said he was under the impression she intended more than dinner. He declined the offer and handed her a candy bar. He was a married man. He was an officer and had to warn his men not to take advantage of the women of Paris as they were extremely vulnerable emotionally. You can see some of that in these films.

[AlshainFR]

2:45 the woman here, Simone Ségouin became a nurse after the war and refused to the Légion d'honneur, which is the highest French civilian and military award. She finally accepted it in 2021 and died on February 21 2023, at the age of 97.

[motherdear]

My father was a medic in Europe in 44 and 45. I can't watch this without missing him. A brave, gentle man who saved lives and who himself was wounded twice. We will never see their like again.

[loveaodai]

This is great stuff. My father was born in Paris in 1923 and taken to America by his parents (my grandparents) when about 6 years old. He would later join the Army Airforce and wound up in Stalag Luft IV then later to Stalag XI-B till liberated by British forces on April 18, 1945. My first of many trips to Paris was in 1970 with my father who brought me around to the relatives. I cherish the memories. I am now 68 having now lived more than half my life in Saigon where I remain by choice. That’s another story. Thank you again.

[jacquelinedesanctis]

When you think of the millions who lost their lives against an Evil Empire, and now we are facing the same horrors, but much more subtle. The Evil has not gone, it has expanded.

[paulmasterson]

All this footage was taken using George Stevens own colour camera, though he often gave it to his sergeant whin he was busy with the official BW filming. He went right through to Berlin and was responsible for the film of the liberation of Dachau. The colour film he took there was far more graphic than the official version as it was never censored, as it was never intended for public release. Some of his colour film was used in ‘the world at war’

[dvsure]

Excellent footage. Lots of people worldwide didn’t or don’t know how large and important the French resistance was to its liberation. More than 100, 000. Most surprising to me is to see this rare color footage of Simone. No doubt there were thousands of very brave French women that have not gotten the recognition they very much deserved.

[blank]

Great scenes. Though the occupying enemy, German General von Choltitz deserves credit from ignoring Hitler's order to blow up Paris into rubble when the Allies advanced.

[andrewgarai]

My grandmother was in Paris for the liberation. She, her brother, and sister survived. The rest of her family was gone forever. She was a teenager at the time. I’m sure it was one of the greatest days of her life. ❤

[nkhswdc]

Чем больше времени проходит после этой ужасной войны, тем ценнее становится подобная хроника событий.

[amys]

Thank you for this footage. My grandfather was in the 82nd Airborne 1943-1947. He was injured twice but came home with a German pistol. I was so young when he passed away that I never got to talk to him about his experiences over there. I have multiple family members that have fought in every war back to the Norman conquest (I’ve been doing my ancestry) anyway this is a huge insight into what he saw overseas. Thank you again

[ythdjbfs-ykjsi]

Потрясающе качество съёмки для того времени, передаёт всю атмосферу происходящих событий!

[MM-vvmt]

Perhaps my most cherished photograph is one taken that very day of my mother's U.S. Women's Army Corps company marching in formation down the Champs Elysees under the Arc de Triomphe with her looking fierce in her Class A uniform in the front row (she was tall and looked just like Maureen O'Hara). She told me there were still Nazi and collaborationist snipers shooting at people, and that Army snipers were atop the Arc to provide security. Paris was still not completely secured when this parade happened and there were still running gun battles going on in Paris away from the Champs. A month later, she would meet my father, an Army ordinance officer attached to the same headquarters company as she, and 15 months later they were married and then went on to raise 8 kids together. Three of their sons would serve in the U.S. Army and Navy during the Vietnam War and all three eventually were rated 100% disabled due to their wounds and injuries suffered during the war. Proud of them? Damn straight I am! Viva Liberation! Viva la France! Viva la America!

[r.k]

My great grandfather was there in this war he was in Sikh regiment of British India army, his regiment was in France unfortunately only few men survived and reached Paris he was one of them

[francescahamilton]

Absolutely wonderful. Quite original, showing scenes never filmed before and in colour. Excellent and thanku for this.

[Sunmoon-gjgy]

I'm proud to say my late father Benedict Tusa in the Army's Timberwolf 104th Infantry Division was there 🇺🇸

[shavkatturdiqulov]

ОЧЕНЬ КАЧЕСТВЕННЫЕ СЪЁМКИ. СПАСИБО. МОЙ ДЯДЯ ПРОШЁЛ БОЕВОЙ ПУТЬ ОТ СТАЛИНГРАДА, ДО БЕРЛИНА.ФРАНЦИЮ ОСВОБОДТЛИ СОЮЗНИКИ, НО В ЭТОМ ЕСТЬ ОГРОМНЕЙШЫЙ ВКЛАД СОВЕТСКОГО СОЛДАТА.ВЕЧНАЯ ПАМЯТЬ ПОГИБШИМ КРАСНОАРМЕЙЦАМ И СОЛДАТАМ СОЮЗНИКОВ.

[josephstabile]

Thanx so much for the magnificent footage. When one watches this, the liberation is relived in a way no other medium quite conveys!

[Senaleb]

It was a fantastic idea to have the French battalions enter Paris first. That must have been a very emotional moment for the parisians. Oh and omg seeing the US army marching @14:30 gives me goosebumps. This whole video is amazing

[BPMcrea]

This is a marvelous film!! Watching it for them third time, after having first discovered it today. Each time I find new things I can identify, like the Hotel Scribe. The Scribe was the haunt of the war correspondents, one of whom was my aunt (Detroit Free Press). It's a thrill to see the Liberation of Paris, in color, so real. The film has many little things that she mentioned, before her death in 1990, like the MANY bottles of wine and champagne the jeeps collected, the bouquets of flowers, all the French girls kissing every GI available. I have a great old press photo of her, in uniform, somewhere in downtown Paris being kissed enthusiastically by a fellow US war correspondent. A second US photographer buddy took the photo, reportedly after she complained that she wasn't getting any hugs from grateful Frenchmen. She was one of only 113 American women journalists who succeeded in getting accredidation from SHAEF as war correspondents. All told, the story of these women pioneers is a fascinating tale of determination, skill, and bravery, and until lately, totally ignored.