Any French Resistance experts here???

[Salonen]

After the Manouchian group was arrested at the end of 1943, and executed in february 1944, was there any action taken against the germans in Paris, until the liberation in august 1944?

And were there any other resistance groups in Paris as active as FTP-MOI?

Looking forward hearing from all.

[mas36]

Gosh, kind of a loaded question here. As for any retaliations to the Manouchian group's execution, I'm unaware of anything like that. The members of the Resistance didn't have the kind of weapons/materiel to take on reprisal campaigns. They simply continued doing what they did before: spying, sabotage, recruit, arming, assasinations, etc.,etc.

As for the Paris Resistance, it was split into many factions, but mostly along the lines of the Gaullist and Communists factions. In Paris, as in elswhere, the Germans were targets of all kinds of random acts of resistance. The main objective of these acts was to instill fear in the minds of the occupiers, to the point where the Germans would not dare venture around alone or in small groups, but instead in very well armed convoys, sometimes protected by armored vehicles.

A distinction many people make between the Communist and Gaullist factions is that the communists advocated direct action, many times in complete disregard for the lives of civilians nearby (lives taken in reprisals by Germans). The Gaullist on the other hand, mostly favored patience, and action only when they could be most effective in their actions and gain greater results.

A good read, try "Soldiers of the Night" by David Schoenbrun

[Ordie]

I recommend seeing the movie "Army of Shadows"

Brilliant interpretation of the Resistance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_of_Shadows

[Deicide]

I've seen a tv documentary call "war in color" about WW2, and they say that Paris resistance was foreign (and communist i guess) in fact, and that it was the french police who captures them for germans (gestapo). What a shame...

[Ordie]

Here's a good read about Spanish involvement in the French Resistance Movement.

An account of the activity of Spanish anarchist and anti-fascist exiles in the Resistance in Nazi-occupied France. Tens of thousands were forced to flee Spain following fascist victory in the Civil War.



Forgotten Heroes
"How many lands have my feet trod and my eyes seen! What terrible scenes of desolation of death I witnessed in those years of continual war. Adverse circumstances had made us, anti-militarists, the most battle hardened soldiers of the Allied armies" - Murillo de la Cruz
There are many myths and controversies concerning the French Resistance during the Second World War. The "official" line, from the point of view of the Gaullists, ascribes great significance to the radio appeal broadcast by Charles de Gaulle on June 18th 1940, calling on the French people to continue the fight against the Germans. But for at least one major component of the Resistance movement the armed struggle against Fascism began not on June 18th 1940 but on July 17th 1936. It is a little known fact that over 60,000 Spanish exiles fought alongside the French Resistance, in addition to thousands of others who served in the regular forces of the Free French army. This article pays tribute to the forgotten heroes of the Spanish Resistance - in addition to the thousands who continued armed struggle against Franco in Spain (http://libcom.org/history/articles/index.php) - and explores the wider origins and development of the French Resistance (pictured above are members of the Maquis in La Tresorerie).

More:http://libcom.org/history/articles/spanish-resistance-in-france-1939

[Fact62]

Deicide, shut up please !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Resistance