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(
February 2024
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The
French Resistance
was a group of French
resistance movements
that fought against the
Nazi German
military occupation
in
France
during
World War II
(1939?1945). Resistance cells were small groups of armed men and women who killed German soldiers, published secret
newspapers
, collected information about the German army, and helped
Allied
soldiers and pilots who were trapped in France to get back to
Great Britain
. The men and women of the Resistance came from all levels of society and different
religion
s.
The
Allied armies
helped the French Resistance by giving them guns and
explosives
. It was very dangerous to be a member of the French Resistance. Members who were caught by the Germans were often
tortured
and killed. When the Resistance killed a German officer, sometimes the Nazi army would kill large numbers of innocent civilians as a
punishment
.
The French Resistance helped the Allied armies to advance through France in
1944
. After the
invasion of Normandy
on 6 June 1944, and the
invasion of Provence
on 15 August, they gave the Allies information about the German defenses. The Resistance also
sabotaged
the electrical
power grid
, transportation methods, and
telecommunications
networks. During the Nazi occupation of France, the resistance was an inspiring example of
patriotic
behavior and bravery.
When the war was over, the Resistance
executed
about 9,000 French people who were working to help the Nazis. This included many members of the
Milices
, a fascist organization that helped Nazi Germany.