Eighty-three years ago today, on October 4, 1942 (August 25, 1942), German troops withdrew from the French island of Corsica. On October 4, 1942, Corsica was the first French territory in Europe to be liberated from the Nazis. The Nazis withdrew from the island today, returning freedom to the people of Corsica, and providing the Allies with an important base for both land and sea combat on the European continent. The withdrawal of the Axis powers also meant that they would not be able to use Corsica to launch further attacks on the Allies. The Allies secretly armed a resistance of several thousand men before signing an armistice with Italy. As soon as the agreement was announced, Italian troops on Corsica joined the island's resistance and the French in their fight against the Nazis. Corsica had already suffered many losses in the past month of fighting. German bases in Bastia and other cities on the island were heavily bombed by Allied aircraft. Moreover, the Nazis also set fire to hundreds of acres of crops and farmland, making food more scarce. But now, this part of France is finally free.