Social and Political effects of World War Two on France

The French Resistance was key in Germany's downfall. Not only did they destroy transportation routes, they sabotaged electric plants and communication lines as well. They also helped the British airman

• 27 May 1943 The first unified meeting of French resistance groups took place, chaired by Jean Moulin; it recognized de Gaulle as the leader of the movement. Moulin would be betrayed to the Gestapo a month later, dying en route to a concentration camp.
• 3 Jun 1943 French Resistance saboteurs destroyed 300 tons of tires in the Michelin factory at Clermont-Ferrant.
• 19 Dec 1943 French Résistants engaged in heavy fighting with Germans in Bernex, France.
• 1 May 1944 British Squadron Leader Maurice Southgate, whose task it was to coordinate the various Marquis groups between the Loire River and the Pyrenees mountains, was arrested by the Gestapo in Paris, France.
• 10 May 1944 The French Resistance claimed a membership of over 100,000 and requested more military aid from the Allies.
• 28 Jun 1944 French resistance fighters killed Minister of Information and local Milice leader Phillipe Henriot. Milice leader in Lyon, Paul Touvier, was ordered to conduct reprisal killings.

• 30 Jun 1944 Milice leader in French city of Lyon, Paul Touvier, selected 7 Jewish prisoners to be executed by firing squad as reprisal for the killing of Minister of Information and local Milice leader Phillipe Henriot two days earlier by the French resistance.
• 19 Jul 1944 From Britain, US 8th Air Force dispatched 5 B-17 bombers to drop propaganda leaflets in France and Belgium while 5 B-24 bombers paradropped supplies to French resistance fighters.
• 20 Jul 1944 6 US B-17 bombers were launched after sundown to drop propaganda leaflets over France while 12 B-24 bombers dropped supplies to resistance fighters.
• 16 Aug 1944 French resistance fighters captured three German posts along the Swiss border.
• 20 Aug 1944 French resistance fighters liberated Toulouse, France.

At the hour when the final battle against the invader for the liberation of Paris is going to begin, the PCF declares that there is no more urgent task for all Parisians than to realize total unity in combat.

Everyone to the barricades! Cut down trees! Flip over trucks! Pile up sacks of sand! Organize ambushes! Dig anti-tank ditches! Let every house become an attacking fortress! Let not one kraut escape alive from our city, which must be freed to greet the Allies.

To arms, Citizens! Form our battalions!

Join the FFI! Spread guerrilla warfare everywhere!

Form your groups of Patriotic Militias!

Let the impure blood of the krauts and traitors water our furrows!

Long live Paris! Long live the republic! Long live France!

Purpose

• The purpose of this text was to inspire the people of France, communist specifically, to unite and fight for the republic of France
• It was basically a call to war that said that it was up to the French to free France so the Allies could join them

Origin

Value

• This text is from a French newspaper called L'Humanite which was a communist newspaper
• It was published August 23, 1944
• It was a Decleration of the French Communist Party on the Battle of Paris

• The value of this source is that it's a primary source and it was actually published
• Also the fact that it's from a Communist newspaper is a value because it shows that the goals of the communist party was the same as everyone else at the time.

Limitations

The resistance was effective in their attempts to stop the German's ability to transport equipment. They successfully destroyed around 530 railroad tracks each month which greatly affected Germany's resources

They were important in the liberation of France, they kept up French Moral with protests and demonstration. Their armies also were necessary in the freeing of Paris and consequently all of France.

The French Resistance wasn't all that successful in France but was effective in aiding the allies to win the war

• The limitations of this source are that it was made for the public so you don't know what was actually happening, just the sugarcoated version
• You also don't know who wrote it or the context under which it was written
• We don't know what was going on in life during that time
• Also, the fact that it had to be translated is a limitation

Question 7: Examine the effectiveness of propaganda or the Resistance movement in any country during World War Two

OPVL of Primary Source

• 21 Aug 1941 A German naval cadet became the first victim of French Resistance, shot in a Metro station in Paris, France. Over 150 Parisians were shot in reprisal.
• 24 Aug 1941 Vichy France passed anti-terrorist laws, punishable with death sentences, to deal with the resistance movement.
• 15 Sep 1941 German soldiers were attacked by resistance fighters in Paris, France.
• 1 Jan 1942 Jean Moulin, the former mayor of Chartes, parachuted into France in an effort to coordinate and unify resistance groups.
• 15 Apr 1942 German headquarters at Arras, France was attacked by members of the French Resistance.
• 31 Jan 1943 The Milice was created in Vichy France under Joseph Darnand to counter the Resistance. This organization became another force of the German occupation, reaching a strength of over 20,000 by the Allied invasion in 1944.

The People

The French Resistance movement during World War Two was key in the Allies success at D-Day; they gave the Allies intelligence reports and disrupted the German communication lines

(cc) image by jantik on Flickr

French Revolution

Timeline

2002 March

The resistance movement started off slowly but became progressively stronger. On June 22, 1941, the groups of the resistance joined together with the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and became even more powerful

The Economy

Eisenhower said, " Throughout France the Resistance had been of inestimable value in the campaign. Without their great assistance the liberation of France would have consumed a much longer time and meant greater losses to ourselves."

• After France was captured, over two million French soldiers were captured and sent to prisoner of war camps, they were held as hostages to ensure French cooperation
• Hundreds of thousands of French were forced to work in German factories, a few even volunteered to
• The Jewish were also persecuted by the Vichy regime during this time. They were then handed to the Germans and sent to death camps

• The French economy deteriorated under German and Vichy control
• Women especially suffered from shortages because the men were at the POW camps
• The rationing system in place was pretty well done but badly done managed and thus caused further harm to their economy
• Production fell due to lack of supplies available during the war
• Since the Germans seized 20 % of food production, it left the French with even less

Social Effects on

the Homefront

Vichy France

The Resistance

• the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers during WW2
• Headed by Marshal Philippe Petain
• Originally intended to be temporary
• Lasted for four years
• Collaborated with the German forces as long as France stayed undivided
• Nazi Germany occupied three-fifths of France's territory and the rest in the southeast was under the control of the new Vichy government

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4Ok-RKgCHg

• Formally known as the"French Forces of the Interior"
• After France was freed by the Allies, the FFI was to go back to their normal lives or integrate with the French army
• The resistance was headed by Charles DeGaulle
• Once the Vichy government and Nazi's were gone, Charles DeGaulle assumed control of the national French government
• The Resistance was also a term used to refer to anti-German parties in France

Political Effects on

the Homefront

Nazi Occupation

• May 1940 to December 1944 the Nazi Regime occupied three fifths of France's territory
• Although all of France was technically under the control of the Vichy government, the Nazi government held control over most of the north of France

Social and Political Effects of WW2 on Homefront

By: Leticia Fierro