An unofficial referendum on whether to support the
Free French or the
Vichy regime was held in the
French Oceanian islands of
Mo'orea and
Tahiti on 24 August 1940.
[Tahiti, 24. August 1940 : Unterstützung von Vichy / Freies Frankreich]
Direct Democracy The referendum was held following
a call from
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...
to oppose the Vichy government on 18 June, and was organised by the underground Free France Committee.
[
Over 99% of voters supported backing the Free French Forces, with just 18 people voting in favour of the Vichy regime. Following the referendum, the pro-Vichy governor Frédéric Marie Jean Baptiste Chastenet de Géry was forced to resign on 2 September.][ On the same day the Free France Committee formed the Provisional Council of Oceania to rule the island group, which was recognised by De Gaulle by a telegram sent from London. Peter Fraser, the Prime Minister of New Zealand also sent a telegram noting great satisfaction at the result. The new administration on the islands lifted the ban on British shipping, allowing imports of food.]["Various" ''The Times'', 14 September 1940, p3, issue 48721] Only French citizens were eligible to vote in the referendum, meaning the overwhelming majority of the population on both islands was excluded from participation, including virtually the entire native population.
Results
References
French Oceania
Referendum
Referendums in French Polynesia
Vichy France
French Oceanian referendum
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