French Resistance

The French Resistance was a diverse underground movement that opposed Nazi occupation and the Vichy regime during World War II through intelligence, sabotage, escape networks, and armed action.

French Forces of the Interior: The armed formations created by unifying much of the French internal resistance in 1944. They brought numerous resistance groups under a common military structure for the liberation campaign.
Armistice of 22 June 1940: The agreement that ended fighting between France and Germany in 1940 and divided France into occupied and unoccupied zones. The armistice established the occupation and political circumstances resistance movements opposed.
Jean Moulin: A French official who worked to unite resistance organizations and helped establish the National Council of the Resistance. His mission from de Gaulle made him the central coordinator of internal resistance before his arrest.
Liberation of Paris: The August 1944 uprising and Allied advance that ended German occupation of Paris. Resistance fighters participated in the uprising that preceded the city's liberation.
Milice française: A Vichy paramilitary force that hunted resistance members and assisted German repression. It was a French instrument of repression directed against the underground movement.
National Council of the Resistance: A coordinating body founded in 1943 to unite resistance movements, political parties, and labor organizations. It helped coordinate disparate networks and set out a shared political program.
Vichy France: The French state headed by Philippe Pétain from 1940 to 1944, which collaborated with Germany. Resistance groups opposed both German rule and the Vichy government's collaboration.
Lucie Aubrac: A French resistance organizer who helped plan the escape of her husband Raymond Aubrac from German custody. Her organizing and escape operations illustrate the risks and agency of women in the movement.
Liberation of France: The Allied and French campaign that ended German control over most of France in 1944. Resistance forces aided the campaign through intelligence, sabotage, and local fighting.
Collaborationism: Political or social cooperation with an occupying power or its regime. It names the opposing choice made by Vichy authorities and French collaborators.

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