Containing previously unpublished material from the Paris and Washington archives, an all new, controversial account of France's role post-World War II Throughout D-Day, French soliders were mysteriously absent during the invasion on their own soil. Although General Charles De Gaulle commanded 400,000 Free French soldiers, President Roosevelt insisted they not be told the date of the invasion because he intended to occupy France. In doing so, Roosevelt would be able to open France to big American businesses and keep in office those who had run the country for Hitler. This would have sparked a civil war, but De Gaulle outwitted Washington to head the first government of liberated France. It wasn't long after that, disgusted with the professional politicians, he resigned in 1946.