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12.4.41 [George Orwell]

April 12, 2011 in French Africa, Germany, Libya, Political, Vichy France, War-time, fish, fishmonger, french, perch, press by orwelldiaries

The idea that the German troops in Libya, or some of them, got there via French ships and French African territory, is readily accepted by everyone that one suggests it to. Absolutely no mention of any such possibility in the press, however. Perhaps they are still being instructed to pipe down on criticisms of Vichy France.

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8.8.40 [George Orwell]

August 8, 2010 in Belgians, Bolshevik, Churchill, Egypt, H G Wells, Italy, Lord Swinton, Perim, Political, Red Sea, War Office, War-time, Zouaves, british somaliland, french, lecture, refugees by orwelldiaries

The Italian attack on Egypt, or rather on British Somaliland, has begun. No real news yet, but the papers hint that Somaliland can’t be held with the troops we have there. The important point is Perim, loss of which would practically close the Red Sea.

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10.7.40 [George Orwell]

July 10, 2010 in "Time", American Communists, Bahamas, Churchill, Dakar, Duke of Windsor, Empire, England, Europe, Germans, Government, Guilty Men, Hitler, Munich, Nazis, Political, Richelieu, Vernon Bartlett, War-time, arms, battleship, communists, fleet, french, gollancz, harbour, peace offer by orwelldiaries

They have disabled the French battleship Richelieu, which was in Dakar harbour[1]. But no move to seize any of the French West African ports, which no doubt are not strongly held….. According to Vernon Bartlett[2], the Germans are going to make a peace offer along the lines I foresaw earlier, i.e. England to keep out of Europe but retain the Empire, and the Churchill government to go out and be replaced by one acceptable to Hitler. The presumption is that a faction anxious to agree to this exists in England, and no doubt a shadow cabinet has been formed. It seems almost incredible that anyone should imagine that the mass of the people would tolerate such an arrangement, unless they had been fought to a standstill first….. The Duke of Windsor[3] has been shipped off as Governor of the Bahamas, virtually a sentence of exile…… The book Gollancz has brought out, Guilty Men, the usual “indictment” of the Munich crowd, is selling like hot cakes. According to Time, the American Communists are working hand in glove with the local Nazis to prevent American arms getting to England. One can’t be sure how much local freedom of action the various Communists have. Till very recently it appeared that they had none. Of late however they have sometimes pursued contradictory policies in different countries. It is possible that they are allowed to abandon the “line” when strict clinging to it would mean extinction.

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5.7.40 [George Orwell]

July 5, 2010 in Churchill, German radio, Italian, Mers el-Kébir, Oran, Political, War-time, attack, fleet, french, german, submarines, warships by orwelldiaries

The almost complete lack of British casualties in the action against the French warships at Oran[1] makes it pretty clear that the French seamen must have refused to serve the guns, or at any rate did so without much enthusiasm…. In spite of the to-do in the papers about “French fleet out of action”, etc., etc., it appears from the list of ships actually given that about half the French navy is not accounted for, and no doubt more than half the submarines. But how many have actually fallen into German or Italian hands, and how many are still on the oceans, there is nothing in the papers to show…… The frightful outburst of fury by the German radio (if rightly reported, actually calling on the English people to hang Churchill in Trafalgar Square) shows how right it was to make this move.

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17.6.40 [George Orwell]

June 17, 2010 in Canada, Canada House, Gwen O’Shaughnessy, Paris, Political, Scottish private, Underground, War-time, evacuation, french, german, medals, navy, newspapers, patriotism, review, surrender by orwelldiaries

The French have surrendered. This could be foreseen from last night’s broadcast and in fact should have been foreseeable when they failed to defend Paris, the one place where it might have been possible to stop the German tanks. Strategically all turns on the French fleet, of which there is no news yet…

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12.6.40 [George Orwell]

June 12, 2010 in Abyssinian war, British, Eileen, Germans, Italian shops, Mussolini, Political, Spanish war, Swiss, War-time, attacks, french, soho by orwelldiaries

E[ileen]. and I last night walked though Soho to see whether the damage to Italian shops etc. was as reported. It seemed to have been exaggerated in the newspapers, but we did see, I think, 3 shops which had had their windows smashed. The majority had hurriedly labelled themselves “British”. Gennari’s, the Italian grocer’s, was plastered all over with printed placards saying “This establishment is entirely British”. The Spaghetti House, a shop specialising in Italian foodstuffs, had renamed itself “British Food Shop”. Another shop proclaimed itself Swiss, and even a French restaurant had labelled itself British. The interesting thing is that all these placards must evidently have been printed beforehand and kept in readiness.

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