World War Two: The French Resistance

The Beginnings of Resistancesurrender of France in June 1940

major blow to French pride; humiliation

the government had let the people down

Nazi-approved Vichy government, primarily in the centre and south of the country

North was occupied by German forces and people were at their mercy

Led Astray

aftermath of surrender = period of shock

Public felt misled

Blitzkrieg

resistance movement developed to serve three main purposes: – to provide intelligence– to attack the Germans – to assist the escape of Allied airmen

Petain • Vichy Government set up by the Germans

and governed by Marshall Phillippe Pétain• no German occupation of the Vichy area• Petain’s leadership gave it some stability; however, he collaborated with the Nazis (sending Jews to concentration camps)• some French understood German appeasement

de Gaulle• June 18th, 1940, Charles de Gaulle

addressed French people from London• Called on them to fight and resist Germans• “Is the last word said? Has all hope gone? Is the defeat definitive? No. Whatever happens, the flame of French resistance must not die and will not die.”

Growing Resistance

Vichy collaboration with Germans = growing French resistance

resistance movement got off to a difficult start

however, by June 1941, more organized

resistance included: listening to the BBC, strikes and demonstrations, wearing the Lorraine cross, sabotage, attacks on the occupants’ property, propaganda

Types of Resistance

some groups were violent in nature, aiming to hurt or kill the German occupiers (maquis)

other groups used non-violent means, publishing underground newspapers and broadcasting anti-German and anti-Vichy radio programs

Complete Occupation

On November 11th 1942, German forces occupied the whole of France

More people joined resistance in an act of overall refusal

angered by the compulsory labour service (sent to Germany to work)

treatment of the Jews was a major cause of resentment

British Support

British government and de Gaulle had a difficult relationship

But in October 1941, reached a compromise with regards to resistance operations

de Gaulle set up a Central Intelligence and Operations Agency with the support of the British

Sabotage

resistance became more effective in 1943

attacks on the French rail system

between January and June 1943, 130 acts of sabotage against rail lines each month

by September 1943, 530 = disruption to the Germans and their ability to move equipment

Rapid Growth

by 1944,100,000 members of various resistance movements (up from just 40000)

many women joined; weren’t suspected

Madame Lauro poured hydrochloric acid on German food supplies in freight cars

worked alone and was never caught

Marie-Madeleine Fourcade was caught but slipped through bars in prison window

Maquisguerrilla fighters

etymology: maquis—bushes along country roads

hid in the bushes, darting out to kidnap and execute German Army officers

Approaching D-Day

In the build up to D-Day, the intelligence they gathered was vital

In May 1944 alone, they sent 3,000 written reports to the Allies and 700 wireless reports

Between April and May, the resistance destroyed 1,800 railway engines

German Response

initial German response was that of annoyance

soon turned into great frustration

to counter the resistance movement, German forces employed a policy to rule by iron fist, including later retribution operations against innocent civilians

Many leaders of the resistance were sent to concentration camps and executed

Legacylarge uprising in Paris led to the liberation of the French capital on August 25th , 1944

resistance movement allowed France to ensure its independence in post-war Europe (and a spot in the UN Security Council)

made it possible to unify French people and restore the Republic

women’s suffrage granted by interim government in 1944 in Algiers