the area around bayeux is called the bessin, which was the bailiwick of the province normandy until the french revolution. during the second world war, bayeux was the first city of the battle of normandy to be liberated, and on 16 june 1944 general charles de gaulle made the first of two major speeches in bayeux in which he made clear that france sided with the allies. the buildings in bayeux were virtually untouched during the battle of normandy, the german forces being fully involved in defending caen from the allies.