The French Resistance Movement

Connections to the Play

Connections to the Play

Resistance Flag

Peaceful Protest in Vichy France, 1944

• Creon represents Marshal Petain, the President of Vichy France. "A real hero, a just ruler, a slave to his duty who sacrifices everything that is dear to him for the sake of his country". Creon is pragmatic and his arguments proceed from the idea of compromise, as Petain compromised with the Germans. Creon tries to convince Antigone that he is keeping the country from chaos, an argument like the Vichy government used to legitimize itself.

• The guards are like the French police who turned on their own citizens and backed the Germans. The Chorus says the Guards, for instance, are “quite prepared to arrest anybody at all” (p. 5).

• Some critics also compared Creon to Pierre Laval, the pro-Nazi Prime Minister of Vichy.

(Freeman xlvi-xlix), ("Antigone: Essay Q&A.").

Antigone by:

Jean Anouilh (1910-1987)

• Antigone's resistance to Creon's wishes is supposed to be a coded encouragement to the French people, as she voices arguments for freedom. She sees Creon’s government as taking away the individual conscience of the citizens of Thebes. Antigone alone is willing to resist Creon’s tyranny. She is like the French Underground, defying the decree and burying her brother secretly.
• -------------------------------------------------------------
• The play is critical of collaboration with the Nazis. This is portrayed through the power struggle between Creon and Antigone who represents the Resistance.

(Freeman xlvi-xlix), ("Antigone: Essay Q&A.").

Resistance Fighter

(Cover of Antigone, by Jean Anouilh.).

Achievements of the Movement

Particular Events

• All movements had newspapers that were distributed.

• Developed intelligence, created escape operations and organized strikes.

• Major role in liberation of 2/3 of French territory.

• Sabotage increased retreat and regrouping of Germany army after landings in Normandy and Provence by Allied forces.

Conclusion

• Miners in Northern France held a strike in 1941. This was a strike against employers and the Germans.

• The sabotaging allowed for easier invasion of France by the Allied forces after D-day.

• Sabotage of information by people who didn't necessarily work underground, but by people who had jobs.

1940-1944

Overview of the Movement

Anouilh's Role

-Enlisted member of the

FrenchArmy.

-Prisoner of War in 1940.

-Not very involved in Politics, just when it directly interfered with his work; wrote a letter to the Government to not execute a fellow author.

-Supported the Resistance through his art and with plays like Antigone.

Aims of the Resistance

The French Resistance Movement was a patriotic movement aimed to end the German Occupation.

Antigone, is an allegorical representation of the situation and is aimed to secretly ignite the population and criticize the system.

Antigone is a representation of the Resistance Movement, while Creon represents Marshal Petain.

The Charles de Gaulle led movement aided the allied

troops, and after the D-Day invasion was able to

take back the country from the Nazis in

1944.

After Hitler overtook Paris in June of 1940, the French public felt very ashamed and determined to free the motherland.

Initially, various small resistance groups were formed with little to no success, because of the lack of central control.

By 1941, an organized underground resistance movement was established, the Free French Movement, led by General Charles de Gaulle from London, who would later become President.

Unofficial records put membership at 400,000.

The movement played a significant role throughout the Nazi Invasion, as they continuously updated the Allies about German movements and the amount of arms and equipment located in the country.

("The French Resistance.").

• To disrupt the German supply and communication routes, often with Guerilla tactics.

• Provide Allies with intelligence information about German movements.

• Assist the escape of Allied pilots and forces, and behind the enemy line missions.

• To encourage further resistance and revolt against Nazis in France.

• Publish underground newspapers and propaganda to ignite a sense of nationalism and patriotism.

("Charles de Gaulle saluting.").

Bibliography

("The French Resistance.").

Anouilh, Jean. Antigone. Trans. Barbara Bray. Ed. E. Freeman. 1st ed. London: Bloomsbury, 2000. Print.

"Antigone: Essay Q&A." Novelguide. Novelguide.com, n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2014. <http://www.novelguide.com/antigone-jean-anouilh/essay-questions>.

Charles de Gaulle saluting. Digital image. Aphorism4all.com. Aphorism4all.com, n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2014. <http://www.aphorism4all.com/authors.php?aut_id=%20640>.

Cover of Antigone, by Jean Anouilh. Digital image. Dictée : Jean Anouilh, Antigone. LeWebPédagogique, n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2014. <http://lewebpedagogique.com/brevet/2012/05/02/dictee-jean-anouilh-antigone/>.

"The French Resistance." History Learning Site - The French Resistance. HistoryLearningSite.co.uk, n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2014. <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/french_resistance.htm - source>.

"WWII French Resistance Reenactors - Visual Collector." 2006. 15 Jan. 2014 <http://www.visualcollector.com/FFI/>

"The Resistance in France | History Today." 2010. 15 Jan. 2014 <http://www.historytoday.com/roderick-kedward/resistance-france>

By: Krisztián and Otto

The French Resistance Movement during the

German Occupation in

WWII

IB English Language & Literature HL - January 16, 2014