synarchy movement of empire book ii - Pierre Beaudry's Galactic ...

fighting for recognition by the British and the Americans, and was relentless
in reproaching both Britain and the United States, as harshly as his attacks
against Vichy. The curious point, however, is that his attack against both
Vichy and the Allies, are one and the same, and it was not for his own
personal recognition, as too many Americans thought, but for the
recognition of the sovereignty of France. In other words, de Gaulle was
fighting for the {return of France to civilization}. That is what de Gaulle
always meant by the {Power of France}, as he stated in his radio broadcast
from London, on April 17, 1942:
"Some crimes are so cunningly committed that even upright men
cannot refrain from a sort of melancholy admiration. Thus, in the face of that
foul masterpiece of Nazi strategy, which constitutes the Vichy regime, we
cannot help touching our hats as a tribute to Herr Hitler.
"Fighting France means to go forward shoulder to shoulder with her
Allies, on the express condition that her Allies go forward with her. In
fighting at their side, she means to regain her independence, her sovereignty,
and her greatness, provided they are respected by her Allies. She is doing
everything in her power to promote an allied victory, but on condition that
this victory should also be her own. Over a period of over 1500 years she
has become accustomed to being a great Power, and insists that everybody
and first of all her friends, should not lose sight of this fact. In short,
Fighting France has only one reason and only one justification for finding
herself in the camp of freedom; that of being France herself, and treated as
such by her co-belligerents." (Langer, Op. Cit., p.259.) Thus, as one can see,
{Fighting France} was not purely a military affair as de Gaulle always said.
After the return of Laval, the synarchist team of Vichy broke up and
dispersed itself. Belin, Bouthillier, and Lehideux resigned. Darlan offered
his services to the Americans, and became the "man of the hour" in North
Africa. Pucheu went to North Africa, where he was arrested and executed,
and Benoist-Mechin and Banque Worms's director, Jacques Barnaud,
continued to work with Vichy from behind the scene. To a large degree, the
return of Laval to power had the positive effect of pushing the French
population to join the resistance of de Gaulle.
During March of 1942, the strategic situation had shifted and it
became clear to Admiral Leahy "that if Allied expeditionary forces should
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