Recent from talks
Resistance during World War II
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Resistance during World War II
During World War II, resistance movements operated in German-occupied Europe by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation to propaganda, hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns. In many countries, resistance movements were sometimes also referred to as The Underground.
While resistance groups played a significant auxiliary role in harassing the enemy, their military impact was limited, and they were incapable of liberating their nations alone. Overall, the effectiveness of resistance movements during World War II is generally measured more by their political and moral impact than their decisive military contribution to the overall Allied victory.
By 1941, British assessment of Allied resistance groups suggested that although Nazi Germany now controlled much of Europe, only Czechoslovakia, Poland and (in Asia) China had considerable resistance networks. Although by 1942 resistance groups formed in most occupied territories, the assessments of effectiveness of large resistance networks such as Soviet partisans and French Resistance suggests that they did not significantly hamper German operations until late 1943. All resistance movemements were also significantly dependent on support from Allied powers.
Resistance also encompassed activities beyond armed combat, such as sabotage, espionage, assisting escapees from Nazis, and other activities.
Overall assessment of resistance effectivness is a matter of debate among historians. Jørgen Hæstrup argued that resistance activities "influenced the course of the War decisively [particularly] in the psychological sector". According to Evan Mawdsley, however, in military terms, "the resistance did not do a great deal to achieve the strategic objectives" of major Allied powers, failing (with few late war expceptions) to regain territory or tie-down frontline German troops. J. R. Seeger notes that in specific campaigns, the resistance was considered highly valuable, and on the "rare occasions" resistance forces were able to tie down German troops, this benefited conventional Allied forces in that theater, but often resulted in "horrific Nazi reprisals". Mawdsley does, however, acknowledge that the resistance movements played "a significant auxiliary role in the area of sabotage and the gathering of intelligence", and that the movements had "great political and moral (and propaganda) importance", translating to their subequent signficant impact on collective memory.
The resistance movements in World War II can be broken down into two primary politically polarized camps:
Among the most notable resistance movements were:
And the politically persecuted opposition in Germany itself (there were 16 main resistance groups and at least 27 failed attempts to assassinate Hitler with many more planned, and defectors to the Soviet Union and the anti-Axis resistance in Greece and France).
Hub AI
Resistance during World War II AI simulator
(@Resistance during World War II_simulator)
Resistance during World War II
During World War II, resistance movements operated in German-occupied Europe by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation to propaganda, hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns. In many countries, resistance movements were sometimes also referred to as The Underground.
While resistance groups played a significant auxiliary role in harassing the enemy, their military impact was limited, and they were incapable of liberating their nations alone. Overall, the effectiveness of resistance movements during World War II is generally measured more by their political and moral impact than their decisive military contribution to the overall Allied victory.
By 1941, British assessment of Allied resistance groups suggested that although Nazi Germany now controlled much of Europe, only Czechoslovakia, Poland and (in Asia) China had considerable resistance networks. Although by 1942 resistance groups formed in most occupied territories, the assessments of effectiveness of large resistance networks such as Soviet partisans and French Resistance suggests that they did not significantly hamper German operations until late 1943. All resistance movemements were also significantly dependent on support from Allied powers.
Resistance also encompassed activities beyond armed combat, such as sabotage, espionage, assisting escapees from Nazis, and other activities.
Overall assessment of resistance effectivness is a matter of debate among historians. Jørgen Hæstrup argued that resistance activities "influenced the course of the War decisively [particularly] in the psychological sector". According to Evan Mawdsley, however, in military terms, "the resistance did not do a great deal to achieve the strategic objectives" of major Allied powers, failing (with few late war expceptions) to regain territory or tie-down frontline German troops. J. R. Seeger notes that in specific campaigns, the resistance was considered highly valuable, and on the "rare occasions" resistance forces were able to tie down German troops, this benefited conventional Allied forces in that theater, but often resulted in "horrific Nazi reprisals". Mawdsley does, however, acknowledge that the resistance movements played "a significant auxiliary role in the area of sabotage and the gathering of intelligence", and that the movements had "great political and moral (and propaganda) importance", translating to their subequent signficant impact on collective memory.
The resistance movements in World War II can be broken down into two primary politically polarized camps:
Among the most notable resistance movements were:
And the politically persecuted opposition in Germany itself (there were 16 main resistance groups and at least 27 failed attempts to assassinate Hitler with many more planned, and defectors to the Soviet Union and the anti-Axis resistance in Greece and France).