On August 16, 2024, La Poste issues a block composed of a stamp to mark the 80th anniversary of the landing in Provence.
The Provence landings of August 15, 1944 were conceived by the Allies as the completion of their system in Western Europe, taking advantage of several years of confrontation in the Mediterranean. From the Balkans to the Middle East, from the Libyan shores to the Greek islands, from Malta to Corsica, from Tunisian cities to the Italian mountains, decisive battles have taken place there since 1940. Even if Overlord has held the attention of memory for decades collective, the Mediterranean is undoubtedly a center of gravity of the second world conflict. This sea is marked by colonial empires. Alongside 120,000 Americans, the French brought together nearly 250,000 men for Operation Anvil-Dragoon. Commandos, airborne troops, infantry and armored divisions come from the Army of Africa, the Free French Forces but above all from the intense mobilization in the French colonies of North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. While the Americans were heading back towards the Alps, Army B of General de Lattre de Tassigny captured, with the support of the local Resistance, Marseille and Toulon.
While the Allies fell considerably behind in the Battle of Normandy, it was several weeks in advance that the Mediterranean cities were first liberated, then Lyon, Chalon, Mâcon and Dijon. In September 1944, these units joined the forces landed in Normandy in Burgundy. At a time when the Germans are preparing to fiercely defend the Reich, other challenges await the now “1st French Army”: the integration of the FFI into its ranks, the recognition granted to colonized soldiers, the entry into Germany to overcome the trauma of June 1940 and mark the return of France among the victorious nations.
