During the Second World war German occupied France, the French resistance was able to carry out acts of sabotage and supply intelligence for the Allies. After the Allied armies landed on the beaches of Normandy in June 1944 the French resistance movement aided in the liberation of France.
Maquisards
This term referred to the members of the French resistance who operated in the maquis - or countryside in Nazi occupied France. The term comes the Corsican word for scrub or undergrowth, where the maquisards based many of their camps and hideouts.
The movement was made up of a broad range of people, from all social classes and political beliefs. Members included farmers, students, workers and even military personnel. They carried out attacks against German supply lines and communications and gathered information for the Allies.
The maquis often operated in isolated pockets of the country making it difficult for the German to track them down and eliminate them. The Germans knew about their existence however and responded with brutal reprisals against civilians if they suspected an area of supporting the resistance.
In the lead-up to the D-day invasion and in its immediate aftermath, the French resistance increased its activities and became more coordinated with operations planned and directed by the Allies. Their efforts provided vital support to the Allied armies as the advanced across France and helped liberate the country from German occupation.