Just Finished Reading: Fighters in the Shadows – A New History of the French Resistance by Robert Gildea (FP: 2015) [481pp] 

I’m not entirely sure why – probably because of a movie or two watched with my father – but I have long been interested in the French Resistance or, as the author points out, more accurately the resistance in France. That may sound like splitting hairs, but it's really not. Naturally it's easy to assume that the French Resistance were French citizens resisting the German Occupation until after D-Day and Liberation. That’s true but only partially. For instance, there’s a wide interpretation of what is exactly meant by ‘resistance’. When the war was over, and the dust had begun to settle, a series of Resistance medals were given out – by and large to men who had undertaken direct action against the occupying forces. But what about the female couriers who transported the weapons and ammunition into their hands? What about those who provided the information about German military movements or simply kept watch why sabotage was taking place? What about those who hid and fed downed aircrew as they made their way back to England and the fight? Resistance wasn’t just about shooting Germans or blowing up trains. 

Then of course there was the spread of nationalities involved. It’s probable that the majority of the French Resistance was actually French, but by no means all – not by a long way. France had long been the destination of refugees from all over Europe, from those fleeing persecution in Russia or Spain after the Civil War there or those fleeing the steady advance or the German army. Those who had fought in Spain (again from all over the world) were ready made resistors, as were the Jews and Communists who had little choice between fighting, hiding or being rounded up ‘for orderly disposal’. There were many non-French salted amongst the various Resistance groups whilst there were also groups that were almost exclusively Spanish, Jewish or Communist. It really depended on a mix of local circumstances and chance. 

My only slight disappointment with this book – and it was slight – was the definite focus on the bigger picture. I was hoping to get to know more about resistance at ground level, while a good chunk of the book hovered around the political heights of the de Gaulle fight for recognition by the Allies and the political infighting – mostly in smoke filled rooms fortunately – between various elements in the Resistance itself. Generally, this was an interesting and often overlooked aspect of things but not of huge interest to me presently. What was interesting was how the image and historical focus of the Resistance itself has changed over time – to include those previously excluded – as various factions battled to be recognised and particularly after the death of de Gaulle who worked so hard to mold the idea of the Resistance in his own image. A valuable look at an iconic organisation. Recommended. 

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