The Appeal Of June 18 Persuasive Essay

The second manifestation of the German blitzkrieg (lightning war) began with the Nazi invasion of France on May 10, 1940. In the following six weeks, due to the gross misjudgment of the German objective, the European power and worldwide empire of France seemed to be extinguished after the occupation of Paris on June 14. Now without significant opposition, the majority of Europe would be subject to Nazi dominion and the Aryan racial hierarchy. The previously indestructible morale of the French people appeared to be annihilated, and the fate of their country in the hands of an unquenchable man. However, on June 18th ears turned to the British Isles at the sound of a familiar French voice, war-hero and brigadier general Charles de Gaulle, and

In the third paragraph of the Appeal of June 18, Gaulle simply states, “Believe me, I speak to you with full knowledge of the facts and tell you that nothing is lost for France.” With word choices such as full knowledge and nothing, Gaulle guides the reader to see the entire picture: France has not been destroyed. These words appeal to pathos, and directly influence his audience to see past the catastrophic failure of The Battle of France and the current shackles of tyranny. Another, equally moving statement expounded, “This war is not limited to the unfortunate territory of our country” (Gaulle, 1). Gaulle’s usage of the phrase unfortunate territory presented a logical argument that defined France not by its borders, but instead by its citizens and allies. Arguably, it was the valiant soldiers and loyal citizens who continued the battle for France that embodied their country rather than the characteristics of the land. The concluding line of the Appeal of June 18 was the pinnacle of ethos in the speech as it asserts, “Whatever happens, the flame of the French resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished” (Gaulle, 1). Strongly alluding to ethos, Gaulle declared through his expression of must not and will not that he would hold fast against the storm of the Nazis as long as

The focal point of the first paragraph recites, “It was the tanks, the airplanes, the tactics of the Germans that [led to the defeat of France]” (Gaulle, 1). Not once does Gaulle say the French succumbed because of lack of fight or discipline, but he attributes their defeat to the many advantageous resources and weapons the Nazis possessed. By emphasizing the tanks, the airplanes, the tactics, his listeners acquire the pathetic belief that Germany can be overcome with additional support and strategy. The second use of repetition calls out that “France is not alone!... She has a vast empire behind her. She can align with the British Empire… She can, like England, use without limit the immense industry of the United States'' (Gaulle, 1). By repeating the phrase she has/can, Gaulle instills into the spirits of his audience that France is alive and well and wields the full support of the free world. His writing suggests through logos that the war would not end with the fall of France but would end when France has regained all that it has lost. In his last use of repetition, Gaulle states, “This war is not limited to the unfortunate territory of our country. This war is not finished by the battle of France. This war is a world-wide war.” The repeated words this war conveys pathos to the message as Gaulle reaffirms that