Tuesday, June 10, 1941. Words and Deeds.

The United States contracted to purchase Bolivia's entire production run of tungsten, thereby depriving the Japanese of the same, which was the goal.

Bolivia was the largest supplier of tin to the Allies during World War Two.

Today in World War II History—June 10, 1941

Mussolini delivered a speech in which he stated that the United States was effectively already at war with the Axis powers, which while an exaggeration, had some measure of truth to it, given that the US was clearly acting beyond what strict neutrality would provide for.  He claimed not to be worried and stated that the United Kingdom would fall anyhow.

At this point in time its debated on whether or not Mussolini was aware that Germany was just days away from launching at attack on the Soviet Union.

French  vice premier Darlan delivered a speech in which he warned Frenchmen not to listen to the words of the leaders of the Free French, whom he felt were merely disrupting and disquieting the French.

At this point in time Admiral Darlan, who retained his office in the French navy, was the de facto head of the Vichy government.  He would relinquish that position to Laval the following year.  He was in Algiers when Operation Torch commenced and quickly struck a deal with the Allies which effectively caused the French in North Africa to switch sides.

Darlan has been referred to as a man of "failed destiny" in that he was clearly opposed to the Germans and threatened to take the French navy over to the British during the time of the French collapse.  He was a loyal officer, however, and personally loyal to Petain and therefore collaborated with the Germans in his role as vice premier, at which time he seems to have been resigned to a German victory in Europe.  Personally a republican, when the Allies landed in North Africa his sentiments came back out and he fairly quickly negotiated a French defection to the Allies which would have long lasting as well as immediate consequences.

He wouldn't live to see them as he was assassinated by monarchist Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle, a member of the resistance, who hadn't forgiven Darlan his Vichy role. 

The ironies, and indeed the tragedy, of Darlan are simply epic.  A believer in the French republican and republican values, he ended up serving in the government that opposed them,  A loyal servant of the French navy, he'd end up essentially leading a coup against Vichy that would in the end cause it to become more of a puppet than it already was and which would lead, in part, to the full German occupation of France.  His most significant opponent after switching sides was DeGaulle, who saw the Free French cause as personally belonging to him, which the republican Darlan did not, and DeGaulle was a monarchist at heart.