By: HISTORY.com Editors

1942

General Henri Giraud makes his great escape from the Nazis

Published: November 05, 2009Last Updated: May 27, 2025

On April 17, 1942, French General Henri Giraud, who was captured in 1940, escapes from a castle prison at Konigstein by lowering himself down the castle wall and jumping on board a moving train, which takes him to the French border.

Hitler, outraged, ordered Giraud’s assassination upon being caught, but the French general was able to make it to North Africa via a British submarine. Giraud helped establish the French Committee of National Liberation and played a significant role in the restoration and reformation of the French army, charting his own course toward liberating France from German occupation.

World War II History

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt committed American forces to the Allied cause.

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Citation Information

Article title
General Henri Giraud makes his great escape from the Nazis
Website Name
History
Date Accessed
October 20, 2025
Publisher
A&E Television Networks
Last Updated
May 27, 2025
Original Published Date
November 05, 2009

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