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> Most of the members of the French Resistance during the Second World War were communists I am an old French (65yo) but what I understand is that statement is

> Most of the members of the French Resistance during the Second World War were communists I am an old French (65yo) but what I understand is that statement is only propaganda if only because De Gaule's army was much larger. Anyway "resistance" was not a well structured organisation even De Gaulle's organisation, it was sparse at the beginning (1941) and a lot of people declared themselve as "résistant" after the D day. Many people who actually did resistance acts did not claim themselve to be "résistants". See [0] "Before the Liberation day, we were 2,500 in the maquis. Five or six days later, we were around 10,000" At "liberation", people lived in a state of terror, armed young men roamed the cities. Properties were stolen. Many women were shamed, shaved and raped by those pseudo resistants [2]. Neighbors denounced neighbors for profit. Again see [0] "“There were people killed, one wonders why. Sometimes out of jealousy or revenge. To take their wives... It's easy when you have a gun in your hand, if you're mentally imbalanced. »" US forces put the number of "summary executions" following liberation at 80,000. The French Minister of the Interior in March 1945 claimed that the number executed was 105,000 [1]. [0] https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2001/08/26/215395-la-terrible-humiliation-des-femmes-tondues.html https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2001/08/26/215395-la-terrib... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89puration_l%C3%A9gale https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89puration_l%C3%A9gale [2] https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/french-female-collaborator-punished-head-shaved-publicly-mark-1944/ https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/french-female-collaborator-...

wikfwikf 4y ago
> it was sparse at the beginning (1941) and a lot of people declared themselve as "résistant" after the D day This isn't the refutation you think it is. Communists and fellow travelers were much more prevalent in the resistance earlier on (but after Operation Barbarossa!). There are a considerable number of French communist martyrs commemorated in French towns and public places. Most of these died during 1942 and 1943, when resistance was against overwhelming odds. Towards the end of the war, there were fewer actions against the Nazi occupation and more towards collaborators. This is however because in many parts of France, the occupation simply was unable to exercise more than a show of control, because of the success of the resistance. I am very surprised that as an old French person you aren't aware of the significant role played by French communists in the resistance. Have you heard of Vercors? Colonel Fabien? France d'abord? Whatever you may think of communism in general these are established historical facts. The mainstreaming of the PCF after the war, in contrast to other places in Europe, is specifically related to recognition of their heroism against the occupation. (The same could be said about the mainstream position of freemasonry in French society.) In fact, the strength and popularity of the communist controlled organizations and the risk of a Tito-style regime was a main reason that the UK and US (reluctantly) gave their full backing to de Gaulle towards the end of the war.
orwin 4y ago
It was definitely communists who organized the resistance at least in Brittany and in Charente. My grandfather on my mother side was actual bourgeoisie (parents owned a castle and multiple wineyards and shops), and was temporarily hiding Jews or UK pilots at his home from 1941 to 1944 since their castle was between the 'zone libre' and the coast where allied submarines often waited for pilots. He had no love for communists, but he knew most of the passeurs were young communists (one of which he hired, and i think his son still worked for my uncle 15 years ago). On my father side, in Brittany, even the wermacht garrison in St clette (totalling 5 men on 2 villages, and no road large enough to let any truck send reinforcements, which were hours, even days away if the road was blocked, which happened often), knew who was making the signal and distributing weapons to surrounding group, but couldn't really do anything about it. My grandma had good stories about how poor the area was, as their lack of electricity made them lit bonfire to signal allied planes, bonfire which were very visible for anyone who would look. While they weren't really communists, the ones in Brest sending plans, radio frequencies and taking weapons were.
- JPLeRouzic 4y ago
  > "It was definitely communists who organized the resistance at least in Brittany" Not what I was told (I am born just after the WWII) and not what history seems to tell: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9sistance_en_Bretagne https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9sistance_en_Bretagne > "St clette" You probably mean "Saint Clet" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Clet,_Brittany https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Clet,_Brittany Yes lighted road were rare on countryside, it only arrived in 1956 in the street were my parents built their home.
  - orwin 4y ago
    Yes! Saint clet, exactly. I've researched, and you're right about Brittany, it was MI9 led. But according to this: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_des_r%C3%A9seaux_et_mouvements_de_la_R%C3%A9sistance_int%C3%A9rieure_fran%C3%A7aise https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_des_r%C3%A9seaux_et_mouv... Most movements were on the left, and it seems that the saboteurs and maquisards were communists led. I'm pretty sure my grandmother told me about the Brest communists though, maybe it was just her impression.

wikfwikf 4y ago

> it was sparse at the beginning (1941) and a lot of people declared themselve as "résistant" after the D day This isn't the refutation you think it is. Communists and fellow travelers were much more prevalent in the resistance earlier on (but after Operation Barbarossa!). There are a considerable number of French communist martyrs commemorated in French towns and public places. Most of these died during 1942 and 1943, when resistance was against overwhelming odds. Towards the end of the war, there were fewer actions against the Nazi occupation and more towards collaborators. This is however because in many parts of France, the occupation simply was unable to exercise more than a show of control, because of the success of the resistance. I am very surprised that as an old French person you aren't aware of the significant role played by French communists in the resistance. Have you heard of Vercors? Colonel Fabien? France d'abord? Whatever you may think of communism in general these are established historical facts. The mainstreaming of the PCF after the war, in contrast to other places in Europe, is specifically related to recognition of their heroism against the occupation. (The same could be said about the mainstream position of freemasonry in French society.) In fact, the strength and popularity of the communist controlled organizations and the risk of a Tito-style regime was a main reason that the UK and US (reluctantly) gave their full backing to de Gaulle towards the end of the war.

orwin 4y ago

It was definitely communists who organized the resistance at least in Brittany and in Charente. My grandfather on my mother side was actual bourgeoisie (parents owned a castle and multiple wineyards and shops), and was temporarily hiding Jews or UK pilots at his home from 1941 to 1944 since their castle was between the 'zone libre' and the coast where allied submarines often waited for pilots. He had no love for communists, but he knew most of the passeurs were young communists (one of which he hired, and i think his son still worked for my uncle 15 years ago). On my father side, in Brittany, even the wermacht garrison in St clette (totalling 5 men on 2 villages, and no road large enough to let any truck send reinforcements, which were hours, even days away if the road was blocked, which happened often), knew who was making the signal and distributing weapons to surrounding group, but couldn't really do anything about it. My grandma had good stories about how poor the area was, as their lack of electricity made them lit bonfire to signal allied planes, bonfire which were very visible for anyone who would look. While they weren't really communists, the ones in Brest sending plans, radio frequencies and taking weapons were.

JPLeRouzic 4y ago
> "It was definitely communists who organized the resistance at least in Brittany" Not what I was told (I am born just after the WWII) and not what history seems to tell: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9sistance_en_Bretagne https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9sistance_en_Bretagne > "St clette" You probably mean "Saint Clet" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Clet,_Brittany https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Clet,_Brittany Yes lighted road were rare on countryside, it only arrived in 1956 in the street were my parents built their home.
- orwin 4y ago
  Yes! Saint clet, exactly. I've researched, and you're right about Brittany, it was MI9 led. But according to this: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_des_r%C3%A9seaux_et_mouvements_de_la_R%C3%A9sistance_int%C3%A9rieure_fran%C3%A7aise https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_des_r%C3%A9seaux_et_mouv... Most movements were on the left, and it seems that the saboteurs and maquisards were communists led. I'm pretty sure my grandmother told me about the Brest communists though, maybe it was just her impression.