Appeal of 18 June as the beginning of the Resistance and Free French, historians have shown that the appeal was heard only by a minority of French people. De Gaulle's 22 June 1940 speech on the BBC was more widely heard. General de Gaulle became the "de facto" leader of the Free French Forces that had escaped to London in June 1940. Marshal Philippe Pétain, a hero of World War I, pledged to sign an armistice with Nazi Germany, and led the collaborating Vichy government while the Germans occupied the country's northern portion and several leading politicians, including Georges Mandel, Leon Blum, Pierre Mendès
Frenchmen Street area was once the plantation of Bernard de Marigny, a wealthy Creole and political leader of old New Orleans. He exemplified the Creoles of his day, with his "joie de vivre" — a keen enjoyment of living. In 1806, he had his property subdivided and developed as a neighborhood. Many of the houses in this area are over 100 years old; some are much older. The Frenchmen Street entertainment district began developing in the 1980s. As Bourbon Street became more tourist-focused, Frenchmen emerged as a spot for locals to party, as it was more geared toward authentic New Orleans musical