Diplomatic history of World War II in the Dunkirk evacuation in late May/early June 1940. Tens of thousands of tanks, trucks and artillery guns were left behind, as well as all of the radios, machine guns, rifles, tents, spare parts and other gear. The new Prime Minister Winston Churchill pledged that Britain would continue to fight for France's freedom, even if it must do so alone. After Mers el Kebir, Britain recognised Free France as its ally and the legitimate government of France. The United States maintained diplomatic relations with Vichy (until late 1942) and avoided recognition of de Gaulle's claim to be the one and
Jumping Frenchmen of Maine Jumping Frenchmen of Maine The Jumping Frenchmen of Maine were a group of 19th-century lumberjacks who exhibited a rare disorder of unknown origin. The syndrome entails an exaggerated startle reflex which may be described as an uncontrollable "jump"; individuals with this condition can exhibit sudden movements in all parts of the body. Jumping Frenchmen syndrome shares some symptoms with other startle disorders. Individuals with this condition were first found in the Moosehead Lake region of Maine, and were first described by George Miller Beard in 1878. George Miller Beard recorded individuals who would obey any command given suddenly, even if