One thing to
understand is that there are
two distinct parts: the military battles because, clearly, the Germans (
and in particular the SS)
must be defeated, and the other somehow battles as well, those that concern the spheres of influence and the preparations for
AFTER.
In this regard, one can recall, with the campaign in Lebanon and Syria, the way in which the British tried to prevent de Gaulle from reinforcing his military means
too much (
by facilitating the return of tens of thousands of French soldiers with their equipment back to Vichy 
), and this while the fighting was still raging throughout the world, while trying, at the same time, to replace France with regard to the "mandates" vis-à-vis these two countries.
At the (very) high level, the preoccupation was not only to win the war, but also to place one's pawns well in anticipation of the post-war period...
If need be, let's read this again:
ColonelY wrote: ↑Mon Jan 18, 2021 7:31 am
I've just read again an old post of mine, where I find still some useful […] info:
[…]
ColonelY wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:03 pm
And some more historic events to add again more depth, more flavor:
[… And another event:]
Title: “
Perfidy!”
Text:
“
To prepare the text of the armistice, during the meeting held on 19 June at the home of Sir Miles Lampson, and attended by Wavell and Catroux, General de Gaulle drafted the text of the conditions that seemed acceptable to the Free French and suitable for those opposite.
The next day, unpleasantly surprised: the text retained by the British government and already sent to Dentz (the Vichy's Commander in Chief of the Army of the Levant) was in no way similar to the one the Allies had agreed to!
1. It was not any longer at all question of the Free French; it was just as if it was being proposed to Dentz to entrust Syria to the British!
2. The soldiers and civil servants of the Levant were going to be repatriated en masse and with authority; but de Gaulle needs to keep as many as possible with him!
So there, de Gaulle set out on a more or less diplomatic crusade to have his rights respected and to protect those of France!”
--------------------------------------------------------------
A campaign event just after the last scenario about the Syrian campaign and the next scenario on another theater of action:
Title: “
Bitter victory!”
Text:
“
Our general has been intractable, thus there was a lot of arguing going on.
It was not until July that the agreements of 19 June were respected by the British, somewhat "interpreting" the text they had signed with those of Vichy.
Thanks to de Gaulle's tenacity, and besides at the peril of the alliance with the British, the flag of the Free France now flies over Damascus and Beirut.
Moreover, de Gaulle can finally send his officers to retrieve some equipments and rally some troops among the defeated Vichy's forces.
So, 127 French officers and 6'000 French non-commissioned officers and soldiers join us, plus the Syrian and Lebanese elements which are reconstituted, thus adding yet 290 officers and 14'000 men. That's how the Free France has finally gained about 20'000 fighters after this fratricidal struggle.
But thanks to the delaying imposed by our British ally, it's almost too late: only a fifth of the remnant French Vichy's forces has been able to join our ranks, because the others are being evacuated by Vichy's ships. Indeed already 25'000 officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the French army and air force are slipping away on the horizon, together with one of our assets...”
(Numbers taken from the
Memories of General de Gaulle...
)
Two considerations:
[…]
2. From texts of the two last elements,
another campaign event may appear
after the Operation Exporter scenario as many men are about to join and fight under the Free French flag!
So, maybe with a slightly more "
neutral" title... but with these historical elements:
=> The British tried to be entrusted Syria and Lebanon, who were, as it has been mentionned earlier, FRENCH Mandates.
=> The British planed to repatriated en masse and with authority the soldiers of the (Vichy French) Armée du Levant... but de Gaulle needs to keep as many as possible with him!
=> The latter because even if the British have accepted the solid help of the Free French, they don't really want either that they become too strong, so that the British may easily keep the lead of overall military operations...
=> Finally, even if most of the French soldiers have already been evacuated (thanks to the British support!), Général de Gaulle managed that about 127 French officers and 6'000 French non-commissioned officers and soldiers join the ranks of the Free French fighters, plus the Syrian and Lebanese elements which are reconstituted, thus adding yet 290 officers and 14'000 men. That's how the Free France has finally gained about 20'000 fighters after this fratricidal struggle.
==>
All this is worth another nice campaign event, isn't it?
*******
What does this have to do with us?
Well, of course, always same “high-level” principles, so same things later again. Once the final victory was (almost) assured, some important people preferred to avoid providing "too much" heavy equipment to the French...
Otherwise, the French could have equipped more large units (
we'll come back to that!) and, from then on, played an even greater role on the military level.
At that time, it would have been even
harder to ignore the opinions of the French leaders and even
harder to do
without France on the day of the final victory, when the maps and the future of the world would be redrawn.
Straight headquarters)However, there was also a heroic page in the history of Collnes vespasiennes. It dates back to the years of the German occupation.
Do not confuse friendship between peoples and the interests deemed superior by certain high-ranking guys.
Yes, remember:
