Brief History Of The French Resistance

The French Resistance played a key part in aiding the Allies to success in Western Europe, especially leading up to D-day in June 1944. The French Resistance went from 1940-1944. General Charles De Gualle was the leader of the French Resistance and he was intent to unite these different resistance groups under his leadership ("French Resistance"). Jean Moulin was a high-profile member of the Resistance in France during World War II. He is remembered today as an emblem of the Resistance, owing mainly to his role in unifying the French Resistance under Charles De Gualle and his death at the hands of Gestapo ("Jean Moulin"). The French resistance fighters blew up bridges, derailed trains, directed the British in the bombing of German troop trains, kidnapped and killed German army officers, and ambushed German troops. They took no prisoners, but rather killed any German soldiers who surrendered to them, sometimes mutilating their bodies for good measure. The Nazis referred to them as "terrorists ("History Of The French Resistance - The Alliance Reseau, Maquis, FTP And FFI")." …show more content…
Women were 15-20% of the French Resistance while men 80-85% of the French Resistance. The Maquis were rural guerrilla bands of French Resistance fighters, called maquisards, during the Occupation of France in World War II ("Maquis (World War II)"). The importance of the Resistance in France during World War II cannot be measured solely in terms of the military exploits of its member groups or by its contribution to the liberation of France. After the liberation, Georges Zerapha concluded that from June 1940 to December 1941 Jews led the way from bottom to top in the majority of subgroups of the Resistance. Of the six founders of the Liberation in July 1941, three were