When ‘General’ DeGaulle (his General status was only a temporary field promotion) left France for London after the Vichy French government signed a treaty with Germany he had no followers and no land possessions. Despite that Winston Churchill desperately wanted a continued French resistance so he ‘persuaded’ the English government to recognize DeGaulle as the legitimate French government. England was the ONLY major country that did not recognize Vichy France until Germany invaded Russia. Then Russia was also desperate for any Allies it could get and Vichy France was definitely not helping the Russian war effort by allowing Germans to use bases in the Middle East.

(Book – DeGaulle: The Rebel 1890-1944 – Jean LaCouture)