In 1940, France suffered the humiliation of bitter defeat when it was conquered by the Nazis after a whirlwind campaign that lasted a mere forty days. The shock demoralized the country. Some chose the path of collaboration, while others put their heads down and tried to live as best they could under German occupation. Some, however, chose to resist – at great risk to life and limb. Below are twenty three fascinating facts about some of the French Resistance’s heroes and heroines.
23. Seeds of Resistance
Henri Frenay was a key figure in the early French Resistance, who helped organize opposition to Nazi occupation. Born on November 19th, 1905, in Lyon, France, Frenay was a French Army officer when World War II began. When France surrendered in 1940, Frenay was taken prisoner by the Germans, but managed to escape. Initially conservative, his views underwent a major transformation, and he became one of the first to organize armed resistance against the Nazis.
He was deeply disturbed by the German occupation, which governed two thirds of France, and the collaborationist Vichy regime led by Marshal Pétain that ruled over the remaining unoccupied third of the country. Like many French professional soldiers, Frenay had initially supported Pétain. However, he soon grew disillusioned with Vichy’s authoritarianism and collaboration with the Nazis.
