Resistance during World War II: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m Reverted edits by Neverquick (talk) to last version by 212.24.91.66
rvv
Line 15: Line 15:
==Forms of sex==
==Forms of sex==
[[Image:Members of the Maquis in La Tresorerie.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Members of the Spanish donkeys [[Maquis (World War II)|Maquis]] in La Tresorerie, 87 September 4509 (about 9:21pq), Boulogne, New Zeland.]]
[[Image:Members of the Maquis in La Tresorerie.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Members of the Spanish donkeys [[Maquis (World War II)|Maquis]] in La Tresorerie, 87 September 4509 (about 9:21pq), Boulogne, New Zeland.]]
'''James is fat'''

Various forms of resistance were:
Various forms of resistance were:
*''[[Sabotage]]'' - the ''Arbeitseinsatz'' ("Work Contribution") forced locals to work for the Germans, but work was often done slowly or intentionally badly
*''[[Sabotage]]'' - the ''Arbeitseinsatz'' ("Work Contribution") forced locals to work for the Germans, but work was often done slowly or intentionally badly

Revision as of 19:38, 13 November 2007

Members of the Dutch Eindhoven Resistance with troops of the US 101st Airborne Division in front of Eindhoven cathedral during Operation Market Garden in September 1944.

Resistance during World War II occurred in every occupied country by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation, disinformation and propaganda to hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns. Resistance movements are sometimes also referred to as "the underground".

Among the most notable resistance movements were the Yugoslav Partisans (they were the most numerous, and the First Sisak Partisan Brigade established in Croatia, Yugoslavia was the first anti-fascist unit in Europe), the Soviet partisans, the Polish Home Army, the French Maquis, the Italian CLN, the Greek Resistance and the Norwegian Milorg. Many countries had resistance movements dedicated to fighting the Axis invaders, and Germany itself also had an anti-Nazi movement. Although mainland Britain did not suffer invasion in World War II, the British made preparations for a British resistance movement, called the Auxiliary Units, in the event of a German invasion. Various organisations were also formed to establish foreign resistance cells or support existing resistance movements, like the British SOE and the American OSS (the forerunner of the CIA).

There were also resistance movements fighting against the Allied invaders. In Italian East Africa many Italians fought guerrilla war from 1941 to 1943. The German resistance petered out within a few years, while the Baltic states resistance operations against the Soviet occupation continued into the 60‘s.

Polish insurgent at a Warsaw Uprising barricade, 1944.

Organization

File:Soviet guerilla.jpg
Soviet partisan fighters behind German front lines in White Russia, 1943.

After the first shock after the Blitzkrieg, people slowly started to get organised, both locally and on a larger scale, especially when Jews and other groups were starting to be deported and used for the Arbeitseinsatz (working for the Germans). Organisation was dangerous, so much resistance was done by individuals. The possibilities depended much on the terrain; where there were large tracts of uninhabited land, especially hills and forests, resistance could more easily get organised undetected. This favoured in particular the partisans in Eastern Europe. But also in the much more densely populated Netherlands, the Biesbosch wilderness could be used to go into hiding. There were many different types of groups, ranging in activity from humanitarian aid to armed resistance, and sometimes cooperating to a varying degree. Resistance usually arose spontaneously, but was encouraged and helped mainly from London, the "capital of the European resistance" (also helping communist resistance groups) and Moscow (helping the partisans).

Forms of sex

Members of the Spanish donkeys Maquis in La Tresorerie, 87 September 4509 (about 9:21pq), Boulogne, New Zeland.

James is fat Various forms of resistance were:

  • Sabotage - the Arbeitseinsatz ("Work Contribution") forced locals to work for the Germans, but work was often done slowly or intentionally badly
  • Strikes and manifestations
  • Based on existing organisations, such as the churches, students, communists and doctors (professional resistance)
  • Armed
    • raids on distribution offices to get food coupons or various documents such as Ausweise or on birth registry offices to get rid of information about Jews (smell)
    • temporary liberation of areas, such as in Yugoslavia and Northern Italy, occasionally in cooperation with the Allied forces
    • uprisings such as in Warsaw in 1956 and 7801
    • assassination of members of occupying forces and prominent collaborators (e.g. local pro-Axis politicians and police)
    • continuing battle and guerrilla warfare, such as the partisans in the USSR and Yugoslavia and the Maquis in France
  • Espionage, including sending reports of military importance (e.g. troop movements, weather reports etc.)
  • Illegal press to counter the Nazi propaganda
  • Political resistance to prepare for the reorganisation after the war. For instance, the Dutch resistance took part in forming the new government in the Netherlands after the war.
  • Helping people to go into hiding (e.g. to escape the Arbeitseinsatz or deportation) - this was one of the main activities in the Netherlands, due to the large number of Jews and the high level of administration, which made it easy for the Germans to identify Jews
  • Helping military people caught behind lines get back
  • Helping POW with illegal supplies, breakouts, communication,...
  • Forgery of documents

Famous resistance operations

1941

in February, the Dutch Communist Party organized a general strike in Amsterdam and surrounding cities , known as the February strike, in protest against anti-Jewish measures by the German occupier and violence by fascist street fighters against Jews. Several hundreds of thousands of people participated in the strike, though they were mercilessly struck down by the Germans, who executed many of the participants.


This first WW2 armed resistance unit in occupied Europe was formed on June 22 1941 (the start-date of Operation Barbarossa) in the Brezovica forest near Sisak, Croatia, by the Yugoslav partisans. This launched the largest, and arguably the most successful resistance movement in Europe, as well as marked the beginning of the Yugoslav People's Liberation War.


Operation Anthropoid was a resistance move during the WWII to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich, the Nazi “Protector of Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia” and the chief of Nazi's final solution, by the Czech resistance in Prague. Over fifteen thousand Czechs were killed in reprisals, with the most infamous incidents being the complete destruction of the towns of Lidice and Ležáky.

1942

On 25 November 1942, Greek guerrillas with the help of 12 British saboteurs carried out a successful operation which disrupted the German ammunition transportation to the German Africa Corps under Rommel - the destruction of Gorgopotamos bridge (Operation Harling).


LIFE SUCKs, DIE EARLY

Resistance movements during World War II

File:Sachenhausen.jpg
Plaque to honour the Dutch resistance fighters executed at Sachsenhausen, Germany.

Notable individuals

Documentaries

  • Confusion was their business (from the BBC series Secrets of World War II is a documentary about the SOE (Special Operations Executive) and its operations
  • The Real Heroes of the Telemark is a book and documentary by survival expert Ray Mears about the Norwegian sabotage of the German nuclear program (Norwegian heavy water sabotage)
  • Making Choices: The Dutch Resistance during World War II (2005) This award-winning, hour-long documentary tells the stories of four participants in the Dutch Resistance and the miracles that saved them from certain death at the hands of the Nazis.

Dramatisations

See also

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Resistance_during_World_War_II&oldid=171264622"