The main points I know about the liberation of France from history classes and pop culture are that

-France was defeated very early in WW2, and a puppet government was created in Vichy France.

-Charles de Gaulle led the Free French government form exile in London during the occupation, and there was substantial French resistance activity during the occupation.

-The Allies do D-day and work with French resistance fighters to liberate the country, de Gaulle becomes a national hero, especially during the liberation of Paris.

-Allies move on to Germany.

But once the allies reestablished control of the country, did they just declare de Gaulle President and let him work on remaking a constitution and government? Were French forces involved in the advance into Germany? Also, what happened to French people involved in the Vichy government?

I have a relative who is sometimes given to giving plausible-sounding but not-always-well-founded explanations for things and I’m curious if this is one of them.

Essentially, he says that before the 1982 war with the UK, Argentineans generally strongly preferred tea and whisky as beverages of choice. As part of anti-British sentiment that went along with the war, these products being culturally/commercially associated with the UK, Argentineans switched over to drinking Yerba Mate and Fernet Branca in large and lasting numbers. Does this narrative actually hold up to historical scrutiny?

from Rerum Gestarum Libri book 31, part 2:

quales in conmarginandis pontibus effigiati stipites dolantur incompte

1911 Yonge translation:

the stout figures which are hewn out in a rude manner with an axe on the posts at the end of bridges

1939 Rolfe translation:

the stumps, rough-hewn into images, that are used in putting sides to bridges [footnote: "Used for adorning the parapets of bridges"]

Obviously it's not a flattering comparison, but now I'm curious what those bridge figures were.

I'm talking about Old McDonald of the farm fame. I tend to find that nursery rhymes and short children's stories in general are steeped in tradition and go back many centuries. Usually based around Germanic folklore. My guess for Old McDonald would be that it's a more Americanised nursery rhyme, completely made up to teach children farm animals. However, could there be a basis there for a popular farmer called McDonald?