Quote:
|
Originally Posted by lljadw 1)the role of the French resistance is much overestimated (as the role of all resistance movements)
2)In France,as in most occupied countries,a tiny minoritu belonged to the resistance,an other tiny minority belonged to the collaboration,and,the overwhelming majority took the only sensible attitude :remaining outside of the fighting(what not means that they were collaborating)
3) The hatred of Panzercracker against the French is making him to dishonour the sacrifice of the French in 1940 :100000 French soldiers died in may/june 1940
4)For Panzercracker,every one who does not belong to the resistance is a coward/traitor,as to be expected from some one who never had the misfortune to have lived in an occupied country . |
I agree with most of your comments, except the first. Many operations were carried out by SOE and the US OSS in occupied France, Britain supplied weapons (the French favourite's was the Sten as it could be broken down into small pieces and the Lee Enfield with its 10 round magazine), explosives and other items. Lets not forget the price some villages paid because of resistance activity, where whole villages were destroyed and its inhabitants slaughtered by the SS. I cannot even imagine living under those conditions and the fear.
Resistance groups in Russia and Yugoslavia kept a huge amount of German troops tied up.
The French did however come into their own after D Day assisting the Allies, by destroying rail networks, communications and delaying German reinforcements.
Both the SOE and the OSS trained various groups. Quite a few Allied aircrew and escaped POW's owe their very lives to a mere handful of people. Andrée Peel mentioned in my previous post was only one person who risked death time and time again.
My father was in France well after D Day taking part in supply convoys. He was driving a truck through some French backwater when he saw a French farmer beating the crap out of an obviously starving horse, pulling an overloaded cart. My dad stopped and took the whip out of his hand, and asked "How would you like it if I beat the crap out of you." To which the farmer spat and said, "The Germans never interfered so why should you?"
I have visited and drove through France quite a few times and found the French in the north very anti British, while in the south they were friendly. While in the French Alps many many years ago, one chap slapped me on the back and asked how I liked the South of France. I answered in my school boy French that it is very beautiful, much to his amusment.
Many years ago in UK I was in a small bar I frequented wearing a sweat shirt with my regimental badge (RCT) over the left breast. An older Dutch chap who was with his wife came over to me and introduced himself saying he recognised my regimental badge. We began chatting and he stated he as a matter of fact, was a member of the Dutch resistance in the area of the Phillips Factory in Eindoven, he introduced his wife who played a small part in the resistance.
We chatted for hours. Both he and his wife stated that their biggest fear was being caught by the Gestapo and tortured, the fear they felt while waiting for an airdrop at night. While the Dutch resistance were not as well organised as the French, again a tiny handful of people fought back in anyway they could. I said (and meant it) "It is an honour to meet two extremely brave people." They laughed and suggested that I and others would do the same. I'm not so sure I have the kind of guts they have.
I get extremely annoyed when armchair generals try to degrade and undermine the courage and tenacity of people who put their lives on the line so others may live