GERMAN OCCUPATION & FRENCH RESISTANCE: Resistance and Liberation 1944 Then and Now

By the beginning of 1944, the Resistance in France had reached both a measure of unity with the creation of the FFI, the French Forces of the Interior, and a substantial strength.However, only 10 per cent of these potential soldiers were armed for the Allies gave until then a lack of priority to the armament and supply of the Resistance.It was only at the end of June, after a report from Special Forces Headquarters highlighted that, provided with weapons and supplies, the resistance would play an important role in the battle in France, that a first massive airdrop operation was launched.Three mass daylight drops followed in July, August, and early September, but all of this came far too late to have any real impact on the war. The impressive increase of the Resistance actions all over France in 1943 compelled the German occupiers to switch armed forces to anti-guerrilla operations to supplement the security forces.In May 1944, some 5,000 armed FFI assembled in three strongholds in cent