Скачать или смотреть De Gaulle Returns to Ruins: Lorient After WWII Bombings | July 1945

In this moving photo from July 1945, General Charles de Gaulle shakes hands with children in the nearly flattened city of Lorient, France—just two months after Germany's surrender in World War II.

Lorient had been a strategic German U-boat base, drawing relentless Allied bombing campaigns. Between January 14 and February 17, 1943, the city was pounded with 500 high-explosive bombs and over 60,000 incendiaries. By war’s end, nearly 90% of Lorient was destroyed.

De Gaulle’s visit symbolized both France's liberation and the staggering human and structural toll of the war. His presence in a city of ruins reflected the long road to rebuilding a wounded nation.

Date of Photograph: July 1945
Location: Lorient, France
Historical Context: Post-WWII France, U-boat Bases, Allied Bombing Campaigns, Liberation

#WWII #CharlesDeGaulle #Lorient #France1945 #WW2History #UboatBase #LiberationOfFrance #WarTornCities #PostWarEurope #HistoricPhotos #WorldWar2 #RealHistory #HistoryShorts #RebuildingAfterWar