Transcript World War Two: The French Resistance - English-A1

World War Two: The French
Resistance
The Beginnings of Resistance
surrender 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
Maquis
guerrilla 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
Legacy
large 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