Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More - The French Resistance

Starting point is 00:00:00 In June 1940, France suffered one of the most humiliating military defeats in its history. The country was divided, its government surrendered, and millions of people suddenly found themselves living under occupation. Yet across France, small groups began printing newspapers, gathering intelligence, hiding fugitives, and fighting back. What started as scattered acts of defiance eventually grew into a nationwide underground movement. Learn more about the history of the French Resistance on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Welcome to the I Can't Sleep Podcast with Benjamin Boster. If you're tired of sleepless nights, you'll love the I Can't Sleep podcast.

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Starting point is 00:02:30 On May 5th, 1940, the Germans began an invasion of Western Europe, which resulted in the capitulation of France and the routing of the British Expeditionary Force. In a matter of just six weeks, the Germans defeated not one, but two of the most powerful armies in Europe. Immediately following the armistice, which ended the fighting, Germany held millions of French soldiers captive. By holding the soldiers as prisoners of war, Germany had leverage to impose whatever terms it wanted on France. This allowed Germany to reduce the size of France's army and demand monetary payments. Germany also ordered that the French deport their Jewish population to German concentration camps. The country was then physically divided. The Germans established an occupation zone encompassing

Starting point is 00:03:21 about three-fifths of French territory, covering the coastline as well as the majority of North and West France. The area that the Germans did not directly occupy would be run by a puppet regime officially known as the French state, but more commonly referred to as Vichy France. It's often called Vichy France because the town of Vichy in central France was its seat of government and the administrative capital of the regime. And I've previously done a full episode on Vichy France. The World War I hero, Marshal Philippe Patin, was selected to lead the Vichy government. He had complete executive leadership and legislative control over the country, and with this power he pushed to implement policies aligned with German interests and to provide financial aid despite claiming neutrality.

Starting point is 00:04:08 The government was authoritarian and commonly suppressed civil liberties. Despite this, the regime initially had some levels of popular support, as many citizens were happy that it provided some level of stability amid the chaos of war. Citizens were thrilled to return to their everyday lives and were happy not to face direct German occupation in the Vichy state. Additionally, many French citizens were happy to have to have to have. have Patan in power as they trusted his judgment and leadership. However, this support was in no way universal, and those French who lived under direct German occupation didn't support it at all. In fact, many people resorted to actively resisting the Germans

Starting point is 00:04:47 and Vichy state. General Charles de Gaulle had fled to Britain during the German invasion and had established an exile government in London, which he called the French National Committee. while in London, he addressed the people of France on the radio, saying that the free French were resisting German occupation. Despite the efforts of de Gaulle, the French resistance was not a single organization or political movement. It was a shifting collection of clandestine networks, intelligence organizations, and ordinary individuals who opposed German occupation and the Vichy regime between 1940 and 1944. Despite not being a fully unified movement, all the people, All resistance groups shared the same goal of fighting the Germans and the Vichy government.

Starting point is 00:05:33 One of the earliest resistance groups was the Muzi de Lom network, formed by intellectuals and employees associated with the Anthropological Museum in Paris. Its members gathered intelligence, helped escape prisoners, and published an underground newspaper called Resistance. German authorities infiltrated and destroyed much of the network in 1941, executing several of its leading members. One of the main resistance groups in France was known as the Maquis. Primarily operating out of rural areas, the Maquis were eager for vengeance against the Germans

Starting point is 00:06:07 and prepared to do almost anything. Many members of the Maquis were Frenchmen who had refused to be forced laborers in German factories. Another large portion of the resistance consisted of communists. On orders from Joseph Stalin, the French communist remained neutral until Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. The Communist Party had been banned in 1939 in France after the pact between the Soviet Union and the Nazis. In addition to laborers and communists, other groups joined the Maquis as well. Other prominent factions within the Resistance included escaped prisoners of war, students and intellectuals, as well as Jews fleeing deportation. Members of the resistance lived under false names and carried forged documents.

Starting point is 00:06:52 They changed addresses frequently, avoided familiar cafes, memorized contact points and learned not to ask unnecessary questions. Meetings were brief and compartmentalized. Many activists knew only a few members of their own organization. Food, money, clothing, ration cards, and secured rooms were constant concerns. Families of imprisoned or underground members needed support. Agents arriving from Britain required shelter, clothing, and convincing identity papers. Radios had to be concealed, moved, as well.

Starting point is 00:07:25 was powered. Parachute drops from the Allies demanded coordinated ground teams, coded BBC messages, signal fires and guards. Weapons containers then had to be hidden and distributed without attracting any attention. Trust among the resistance was essential but dangerous. Some members were actually German agents. Other people just broke under torture if they were captured. Careless behavior could destroy an entire network. Personal rivalries and ideological disputes could become life-threatening under clandestine conditions. The Maquis gained support after the Allied North African invasion when the Vichy government began to enlist and deport thousands of French workers

Starting point is 00:08:05 to serve in the German army. Many men who evaded mandatory service became guerrilla fighters who lived in the French wilderness and mountains. The fighters would often raid local farms for food, giving them a controversial reputation, as some farmers happily fed them, while others gave them a bad name. The Maquis engaged,

Starting point is 00:08:25 in many subversive activities. This included printing and distributing underground newspapers. They also worked to sabotage telecommunications networks, destroy key infrastructure such as railroads, create false documents for Jews, and provide intelligence to the Allies. In the summer of 1942, Germany increased the number of Jews being deported from France, victimizing thousands. French citizens witnessed the roundups leading up to deportations, which opened up the eyes of many citizens to the atrocities being committed under Nazi rule. The 1942 deportations aligned with the increase in unification of the resistance. As frustration grew, authorities began to crack down on resistance efforts.

Starting point is 00:09:05 And to do this, they implemented collective punishments. When collective punishments were administered, a statement was often read that described the severity of the crime, and to reflect the seriousness of the crime, a certain number of random people would be shot. As punishment for the French resistance, it's estimated that the Vichy regime shot 30,000 civilians to dissuade others from joining the resistance. One of the worst instances of collective punishment was a massacre committed by German troops known as the Orador-Suglan massacre.

Starting point is 00:09:39 642 civilians were killed, and the entire village was destroyed because of their support for the resistance. One of the most notable aspects of the Maquis were their assassinations. assassinations against German soldiers and officers. Many of the assassination missions were carried out by the communist faction of the Marquis. Known as the Frantéux de Partizan, the communists had a reputation for being ferocious and technical. Unfortunately for the communists, their assassinations often led to violent repercussions by the Germans, who then murdered more innocent civilians under their policies of collective punishment. In addition to direct resistance activities against the Germans and the Vichy government,

Starting point is 00:10:20 the Maki also provided support for the Allies. When they found downed allied pilots, the Maki helped rescue, hide, and treat their wounds. In 1942, Charles de Gaulle continued in his mission to unify a French resistance. He sent Jean Moulon as an emissary to unite the French resistance fighters into a single group, which he called the Force Francaise Combatants. Despite finding some success in uniting the resistance, there was still considerable distrust. There was justifiable fear that there were German spies amongst their ranks. The Vichy government offered a sizable reward to anyone willing to spy on the resistance and provide information.

Starting point is 00:11:00 Though it was slow to grow by 1943, Vichy repression was getting worse, and more people were willing to unite under a single banner. This allowed different political parties to unite, which solidified DeGal's leaders. of the Free France movement. Also around 1943, De Gaulle moved the French government in exile to Algiers. This was primarily done as a political tool, as Algeria was considered French soil, as it was an integral part of France at the time. Being in Algeria also gave De Gaul two advantages. One, he was able to operate more freely from the Allies, giving France some autonomy in the war, and two, it offered him a strategic position from which to command the military forces of the Free French to help liberate mainland Europe.

Starting point is 00:11:47 Before D-Day, there were efforts to fully unite all of the resistance movements in preparation for the invasion. This was known as the French Forces of the Interior or FFI. The group was formally created in February of 1944 and included roughly 41,000 members. The movement was organized into several groups. The first group was composed of communists. They were late to the fight, but they a reputation for being the most brutal. The second group was the army secrete. This group was the largest non-communist group and primarily focused on sabotage and gathering intelligence. And they have the strongest connections with the de Gaulle Free French movement. The final group was the organization de resistance de la army. This faction was made up of former French military officers

Starting point is 00:12:35 who brought their military training to the fight. During D-Day, the resistance was large enough to play an important role in the invasion. They supplied the Allies with intelligence and help sabotage and harass Nazi forces. As the Allies pushed into France, local resistance groups reclaimed town halls and other local government buildings from the Vichy regime. Once a region was reclaimed, De Gaulle would send in delegates to ensure a quick and orderly transfer of power. The most important region, of course, was Paris. On August 19th, resistance groups in Paris launched an insurrection against the German occupiers. And by August 25th, the free French units had entered the city, and high-ranking Vichy officials had retreated east with the Germans.

Starting point is 00:13:21 With Paris reclaimed, the resistance and other members of the exiled government held a victory parade and established a provisional government. The government was formally recognized in October and had unchallenged authority. Exact figures can vary according to definition, but tens of thousands of resistance members were killed in combat, executed, tortured to death, or died in deportation. Thousands more were imprisoned or sent to concentration camps. After the war, France developed a powerful national story that portrayed the country as fundamentally resistant. This narrative, sometimes called resistancism in English,

Starting point is 00:14:00 emphasized the continuity of the republic, the illegitimacy of the Vichy government, and the unity of the French people behind the Gaul and the resistance. and it helped restore national pride after a catastrophic defeat and occupation. Both Gaulis and Communists promoted different versions of the myth. Gaulist depicted de Gaul as the embodiment of legitimate France. Communists called themselves the party of the 75,000 executed, an exaggerated claim intended to emphasize their sacrifice. The myth contained important truths, but it also obscured uncomfortable realities.

Starting point is 00:14:35 The Vichy government had enjoyed genuine support, especially during the early occupation. Some French institutions participated in persecution and deportation of Jews. The resistance involved only a minority of Frenchmen, and its factions had not always been united. Many French citizens had remained passive, accommodated the occupiers, and only shifted loyalties as the war progressed. Nonetheless, there is a central truth about the French resistance. A determined minority of French refused to accept defeat, persevered, and preserved the idea of a free France until the war was won. The executive producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel.

Starting point is 00:15:21 The associate producers are Austin Otkin and Cameron Kiefer. Research and writing for this episode was provided by Olivia Ash. My big thanks go to everyone who supports a show over on Patreon. Your support helps make this podcast possible. And I also want to remind everyone about the community groups, Facebook and Discord. This is where everything happens that's outside of the show. As always, if you leave a review on any major podcast app or in the above community groups, you too can have it read on the show.

Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More - The French Resistance

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