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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol 7, No. 5 June 21, 1944

France and Second Front — Can Underground Hold Six Divisions?

page 6

France and Second Front

Can Underground Hold Six Divisions?

La Liberte Ou La Mort

In 1940 the German armies crashed into France. The British army embarked from Dunkirk. Italy, "the jackal," came into the war. This was the fall of France. After three years of oppression and brutality the French people heard of the Anglo-American landing force. Our special correspondent has here covered briefly the story of France in recent years, with an eye to present and future events in that country.

1789.—The fall of a kingdom, the birth of a republic, a short-lived democracy, a stirring of the French people. After years of oppression the people of France—peasant and artisan—because of hardship and famine, rose up to get a new order. Inexperienced and ignorant, the people could not and did not control the government set up. Political and military ability gave Napoleon Bonaparte his opportunity. From wars of self-defence against the attack of neighbouring monarchies and empires on the new republic grew new wars of conquest to spoil and subdue. 1812, 1815.—The new Emperor's sun set, and the Allies re-installed in Versailles Bourbon Louis. Many years of indifferent rule followed, but the position remained relatively stable. Louis Philippe, the "middle-class" king, followed till 1848, when all Europe was in a foment. In that year, with much demagogy, Napoleon the Little stood for office as President; in a few years, by dint of rather doubtful political practices, he became Emperor. He remained incompetent and arrogant, and France grew weaker while Prussia consolidated her position in Germany.

The Franco-Prussian war followed, with the utter collapse and capture of the badly-led French armies and the king. The people of Paris rose to protect their capital against the German invader. With few arms and hurried organisation they held up the German armies for weeks. This was the time of the Paris Commune. A historian of the time referred to their courage as storming the heavens.

After the declaration of peace the Third Republic was set up, and a democratic constitution reintroduced. 1914-1918.—The Great War—Northern France devastated by the German armies, her towns ruined, her gallant soldiers slaughtered. Then peace again and renewed life for the people.

French Fascism

Gradually, along with the growing power of Nazism in Germany and Italian fascism, came the growth of a fascist party in France. With sundry few wealthy supporters, with the same catch-cries of nationalism, anti-semitism and the Red menace, the movement grew to considerable proportions.

In 1936 the democratic parties in the French Chamber came together to form the Popular Front. From Liberal to Communist they pledged themselves to stand united in the face of growing fascist activity at home and abroad. Their sweeping victory at the polls indicated how the French people regarded this programme.

There was more than one [unclear: fascis] party in France. One of the smaller of them can only be described as Ger-manophile, so closely did they copy the Nazi model, but the main body was the Croix de feu. It numbered in its heyday about 80,000 members organised on military lines and given military drill and rallies, with perhaps ten times that number of supporters. Their main financial support was the steel king Baron de Wendel, their "leader" Colonel de la Roque. True that the government later uncovered a small arms dump which they confiscated, but the fact that they had large supplies of military material was common knowledge.

1939.—War, long-threatening, broke out the betrayal of the Popular Front by men like Daladier and Blum had been seen in their negative attitude to Spain and Czechoslovakia. The fascists in France grew strong. Their anti-semitic programme was more publicised, their anti-red propaganda more blatant. They counted their strength not in the number of people who supported them, but their power. An arms-king for funds, and Petain was their stooge.

The fall of France was not only a military defeat—it was a betrayal. Deliberate sabotage by military and civilian leaders saw the French army out-generalled and in rout. In the ghastly days that followed, armies of refugees were gunned from the air, and wandered, starved and helpless, over the face of the country. German troops requisitioned or stole the products of the country. The army broken, the government would not act, would not arm the people who wanted to fight the Germans; they hesitated, dithered, and fled. Betrayed by their leaders, the French seemed doomed to be an enslaved people.

General de Gaulle, a young army Colonel at the opening of hostilities, rallied the French people to the banner of "Libre France." Calling together all those who value the freedom of France, be they Catholic or Communist, he stands for National Unity, and for a Free France.

When the Germans came into France, aided by Vichy they sought to suppress the nascent resistance movement, but in vain.

In France today the underground movement has risen to vast proportions. Many illegal newspapers are published—some to the extent of 80,000 copies a fortnight. World-famous men of letters, including Gabriel Perl, editor of I'Humanité, have been victims of the Nazi police.

While bombers of the R.A.F. fly overhead on their way to industrial targets and military installations, Frenchmen set out to do their share by sabotage, destruction of war material and lines of communication. A New Zealand prisoner of war who has recently returned to New Zealand said that on their way across France to Marseilles (where they [unclear: took] ship to neutral Spain) they were held up five times, because the railway lines had been destroyed by local action. When these prisoners got to Marseilles, a French gendarmes, at the risk of his life, with great care and patience managed to send them a message. It read like this:

"Dear Comrades.—We are overjoyed to see you here and we wish you a safe voyage. We await with impatience the arrival of your comrades—we will support them. A bientot (see you soon)."

Six Divisions?

A short while ago it was stated that the French resistance movement would hold up six German divisions at the event of an Allied landing. It is true that 500,000 of young men and women have been sent to forced labour In Germany in the first six months of 1943. Starvation for themselves or their dependents, bring many temporarily into German uniform or war work. A year ago it was estimated that 200,000 were in concentration camps and 30,000 had been shot in the preceding year. Among those shot up to June last were 10,000 Communists who have taken a prominent part in the underground movement.

Patriotic Organisation

Young men who have been called up for labour service leave their homes for partisan areas and camps. Careful organisation and checking of recruits bring danger to a minimum. The underground reckons at least 95% of the people with us. Let us not forget, every shot fired by the French partisans helps us and our armies in Northern France. The French Committee of National Liberation is a guiding force to the French people; it is a fair representation of the French people, with representatives from the democratic parties and the resistance movement. They have shown their strength and their courage. We should give this committee every assistance, every encouragement. Are they not the recognised leaders of an allied country which has declared "La Liberie ou la Mort!"