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"If I may..."
I had just read a good estimate a few months ago, but I don't believe the number was that high. Contrary to what Hollywood romantically wants you to believe, the resistance wasn't all that successful, nor appreciated by the general French population. Successful in the general distruction and chaos they caused, and this is not to say that they weren't a thorn in everybody's side, but not too much wide spread effect was had, mostly local disturbances.
The French population hated the resistance, as it caused reprisals from the Germans. (under international law, resistance movements in occupied zones are illegal, and reprisal methods and such are lawful. Check your copy of the Hague and Geneva conventions. Also, "The Rules of Land Warfare" is a good source.)
Under the armistice treaty, the french also were able to retain a standing army of 100,000 and their whole fleet, which as I mentioned, was either confined in foriegn ports when France surrended, or where sunk by the British, which really riled the Frenchies.
France was content to sit out the rest of the war, and wanted no English nor American involvement in their affairs. Any French involvement would have meant economic loss. The wouldn't let the Germans have air bases in the middle east, as the resulting conflict with the allies there would have meant the take over(either German or Allied) of french colonies in that area. Same goes for the Northen African colonies, Algeria, and such.
Early plans called for the shipment of jews from Germany, and occupied Europe, to Madagascar (a french colony or protectorate), but the French vetoed that, as well. (of course, it's also well known that the British wouldn't allow jewish immigration to Palastine, either, and actually fired on several ships of refugees trying to land there. But this is off topic)
France, though occupied, still had most of it's rights as a nation, and the Germans couldn't demand, but rather, had to ask for most of what they wanted form her. Germany occupied most of the north, and the coast, as a defensive measure, but the french government, in Vichy, still governed the whole show.
You may be surprised to learn that it was the French police, not the Germans, that did most of the rounding up of partisan groups.
As far as economics...
France was struggling with economic chaos ever since the first war ended. Riots, food shortages, mutinies in the army during the second world war were common place. After the occupation, the shortage of food stuff and imported goods, cause by the Allied blockade of the coast caused a lot of concern. Remember, an occupying force must also concern itself with the welfare of the occupied. "Can't have civil unrest"
Germany brought in more cattle and foodstuffs for the French population than they took out. (same went for the Ukraine... who welcomed the German 'invaders" with open arms, and open mouths, after Stalin's "Collectivization" plan starved what has been estimated at 20,000,000 to death)
As far as employment in France was concerned(which also meant earning money to eat) many were unemployed and many willingly went to Germany for work, as did Belgians, etc.
If I may refer you to the testimony of Ernst Sauckel( head of manpower and bigwig at the Reich Ministry of Labor) against the charge of Slave Labor during the Nuremberg trials. His testimony and documentation gives a good view of the conditions in France at the time, and how the imported laborers were fed, paid, and treated better than the German population as a whole.
Testimony of Ernst Friedrich Christoph Sauckel
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/im...46.htm#sauckel
Sure... to try to answer the posed question...
After the Mexicans take over the U.S., and the Canadians come down to help us throw them out, we will 'cheer' the Canadians, too. The we will also cheer when they leave. (which they may not, as was the French fear concerning the Brits and the Americans)
Much media play in Iraq... huge crowds when they toppled that statue of Saddam. Of course, a few days later when we saw a photo of the event, taken from the top of a hotel looking downward, we saw that the Cheering Throng of Thousands consisted of only twenty or thirty people. The ol' huddle everyone together and get the camera really close" trick.
No country, with any sense of nationalism, cares to be occupied. What people care about is whether they are employed and can feed their families.
It was the Germans that killed the French soldiers. It was the Americans and the English that leveled the French cities.
Over 100,000 French died in the Resistance
The French population hated the resistance, as it caused reprisals from the Germans. (under international law, resistance movements in occupied zones are illegal, and reprisal methods and such are lawful. Check your copy of the Hague and Geneva conventions. Also, "The Rules of Land Warfare" is a good source.)
Under the armistice treaty, the french also were able to retain a standing army of 100,000 and their whole fleet, which as I mentioned, was either confined in foriegn ports when France surrended, or where sunk by the British, which really riled the Frenchies.
But explain why the French ROARED WITH CHEERS when we liberated Paris...
Early plans called for the shipment of jews from Germany, and occupied Europe, to Madagascar (a french colony or protectorate), but the French vetoed that, as well. (of course, it's also well known that the British wouldn't allow jewish immigration to Palastine, either, and actually fired on several ships of refugees trying to land there. But this is off topic)
France, though occupied, still had most of it's rights as a nation, and the Germans couldn't demand, but rather, had to ask for most of what they wanted form her. Germany occupied most of the north, and the coast, as a defensive measure, but the french government, in Vichy, still governed the whole show.
You may be surprised to learn that it was the French police, not the Germans, that did most of the rounding up of partisan groups.
As far as economics...
France was struggling with economic chaos ever since the first war ended. Riots, food shortages, mutinies in the army during the second world war were common place. After the occupation, the shortage of food stuff and imported goods, cause by the Allied blockade of the coast caused a lot of concern. Remember, an occupying force must also concern itself with the welfare of the occupied. "Can't have civil unrest"
Germany brought in more cattle and foodstuffs for the French population than they took out. (same went for the Ukraine... who welcomed the German 'invaders" with open arms, and open mouths, after Stalin's "Collectivization" plan starved what has been estimated at 20,000,000 to death)
As far as employment in France was concerned(which also meant earning money to eat) many were unemployed and many willingly went to Germany for work, as did Belgians, etc.
If I may refer you to the testimony of Ernst Sauckel( head of manpower and bigwig at the Reich Ministry of Labor) against the charge of Slave Labor during the Nuremberg trials. His testimony and documentation gives a good view of the conditions in France at the time, and how the imported laborers were fed, paid, and treated better than the German population as a whole.
Testimony of Ernst Friedrich Christoph Sauckel
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/im...46.htm#sauckel
Sure... to try to answer the posed question...
After the Mexicans take over the U.S., and the Canadians come down to help us throw them out, we will 'cheer' the Canadians, too. The we will also cheer when they leave. (which they may not, as was the French fear concerning the Brits and the Americans)
Much media play in Iraq... huge crowds when they toppled that statue of Saddam. Of course, a few days later when we saw a photo of the event, taken from the top of a hotel looking downward, we saw that the Cheering Throng of Thousands consisted of only twenty or thirty people. The ol' huddle everyone together and get the camera really close" trick.
No country, with any sense of nationalism, cares to be occupied. What people care about is whether they are employed and can feed their families.
It was the Germans that killed the French soldiers. It was the Americans and the English that leveled the French cities.
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