80 years ago: Nice Freed From Nazi Occupiers

Last Updated on August 25, 2024 by Allison Coe

WWII liberation of NiceLast June marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day: the storming of the beaches of Normandy. But that was just the start, as battles raged all summer, including the storming of Toulon/Var beaches on August 15th.  Town by town the Nazi occupiers were eradicated and villages liberated, each at tremendous cost.

But Nice… Nice was a different story.  The American Forces had their hands full fighting in the Var, and the enraged Nazi regime holding Nice was extracting increasingly brutal retribution.  In desperation, and sensing the Americans would not get here in time, on the early morning of August 28, 1944, a ragtag band of townsfolk risked all with a surprise coordinated uprising.  The guerilla fighting went on all day, many lost their lives, but against all odds, by the end of the day, the SS was fleeing …and Nice had liberated itself.  Click here for more on  WWII: How Nice Liberated Itself.

To mark this dramatic 80-year anniversary, the city is throwing a week-long series of free parties, conferences, parades and expositions.

Saturday Aug 24th: Giant free 40’s style big band retro dance ball, 6pm-midnight, Theatre de Verdure. The American tanks arrived in Nice two days later, and that elation is the theme of tonight’s American-style 40’s swing celebration. Costumes encouraged, food trucks on site.

Monday, Aug. 26th: Free outdoor cinema in front of the Gare du Sud (tramstop Liberation), showing the film La Bataille du Rail (in French), with festivities starting at 8pm.

Tuesday, Aug. 27th: 6pm in the port (2 Quai Entrecasteaux, tramstop Port Lympia) Pop up exposition Les Alpes-Maritimes Liberees followed by a street-fest with music by Gleen Big Band Memories.

As night falls, walk around to the other side of the port to the the Monument aux Morts for a concert, story-telling, and musical reenactment of the liberation of Nice at 8:30pm, finishing at 10pm with a torchlit vigil.

Wednesday, Aug, 28th:  Retro Military Parade with 50 WWII era military vehicles from jeeps to tanks, classic cars, vintage costumes, and all accompanied by New Orleans Jazz Orchestra.   The parade starts in Saint Laurent du Var, rolls into Nice via the Prom (10:30ish?), then up Gambetta, past the train station, back down avenue Jean Medecin (11ish), finishing around 11:30am at Place Massena where they’ll be on display all afternoon.

5pm Place Garibaldi unveils an open-air photo exhibition of never-before-shown photos from the occupation and liberation of Nice.

6pm Fly-over of  vintage WWII aircraft!

6:30pm Official ceremony at the Monument aux Morts.

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