The Resistance in Western Europe

1940-1945

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Pub Date 03 Sep 2019 | Archive Date 03 Dec 2019

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Description

“Olivier Wieviorka presents a clear-eyed view of the achievements and limitations of resistance efforts, moving beyond romanticized tales of valor and dismissive tales of military ineffectiveness. Above all, the book shows the vital role played first of the British and, later, American secret services—all too often forgotten in Europe since the war—in coordinating and directing the efforts of disparate movements across western Europe.” — Clifford Rosenberg, City College of New York


In just three months in 1940, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and France fell to the Nazis. The German occupation of Western Europe had begun—but a brave few rose up in defiance. National resistance has long been celebrated in remembrances of World War II, depicted as making significant contributions to the defeat of Nazi Germany. However, the so-called army of shadows drew heavily on the support of London and Washington, a fact often forgotten in postwar Europe. The Resistance in Western Europe is a sweeping analytical history of the underground anti-Nazi forces during World War II. Examining clandestine organizations in Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Italy, Olivier Wieviorka sheds new light on the factors that shaped the resistance and its place in the grand scheme of Anglo-American military strategy. While national actors played a leading role in fomenting resistance, British and American intelligence services and propaganda as well as financial, material, and logistical support were crucial to its activities and growth. Wieviorka illuminates the policies of governments in exile and resistance actors regarding cooperation with the British and Americans, pointing to the persistence of national self-interest and long-standing historical tensions. Drawing on a wide range of archival sources and bringing together the political, diplomatic, and military dimensions of the conflict, this book is the first account of the resistance on a continental scale and from a trans-European perspective.


Olivier Wieviorka is a professor at École normale supérieure de Cachan and a well-regarded specialist on the Resistance and World War II. His previous books include Histoire du Debarquement (History of D-Day, Seuil, 2007), and Histoire de la Resistance (The French Resistance, Perrin, 2013), whose English translation (by Janet Todd) Belknap Press published in 2016.

“Olivier Wieviorka presents a clear-eyed view of the achievements and limitations of resistance efforts, moving beyond romanticized tales of valor and dismissive tales of military ineffectiveness...


Advance Praise

"Wieviorka treats the Resistance in Western Europe as a multinational coalition. Anglo-Americans supplied arms and funding to Resistance groups on the continent, and Resistance movements in turn aided in the Allied war effort. It was part tug-of-war, résistants striving to maintain autonomy, and part pas-de-deux, the two sides working together in a common effort that helped shape what Wieviorka calls an incipient “European consciousness.” This is a history on a grand scale commensurate with the epic character of the complex struggle it recounts."

— Philip Nord, Princeton University

"Wieviorka treats the Resistance in Western Europe as a multinational coalition. Anglo-Americans supplied arms and funding to Resistance groups on the continent, and Resistance movements in turn...


Available Editions

EDITION Hardcover
ISBN 9780231189965
PRICE $38.00 (USD)

Average rating from 7 members


Featured Reviews

Wieviorka gives an overview of the Resistance and its importance during World War II in Western Europe. How good is it though? It is both well written and well researched. In detail and in the broader participation of the Resistance we find Wierviorka takes the unsurprising path of showing the fractured and often overly attenuated nature of the alliances that developed. On the ground in the occupied territories, with relationships to other belligerent powers and in connection to struggles that affected and whose source and goals lay outside of the War were all sources of fracture. A alliance of opposition does not a strict unity make. Wierviorka shows this clearly and for this the book achieves its goal.

Deficiencies can be detected in the work. A greater development of comparison would have been helpful. The Fascist attempts to crush the resistance, the struggles in Asia, particularly China, Philippines and Vietnam, as well as the resistance in Slavic countries were all areas that could have been used to good effect as comparison models. This however is a small quibble. Perhaps more problematic is the very British perspective of the author. I can't say though that this is perspective that distorts the history.

Wieviorka work "The Resistance in Western Europe" is well worth the read and I recommend it.

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I knew some well thought I knew all there was to know about the Resistance but after reading this,I really didn't know anything. I am so glad that I did read this to get a better understanding on how this worked,what it was for,and the lives I am sure that was saved. Very good description and was able to read and understand,not like some other books In have come across! Thank you from me anyway,I learned so much!!

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In 1940, just after the fall of France, Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered Military Intelligence (later known as MI6) to SET Europe on fire. Unfortunately, it never got above a smolder during most of the Nazi occupation of western Europe. For most occupied countries the major problem besides material shortages of arms was that the retaliation against partisans also meant the murdering of civilians for crimes of sabotage.

For countries like Denmark and Vichy (unoccupied) France, the manner of government precluded the forming of resistance groups. Especially in France, the Milice (the local Militia), spent all their time infiltrating the resistance and killing off the members or capturing arms that the British tries to air drop to them. Thing changed when the Germans took over Vichy and after the landings at Normandy and the Riviera in 1944, but by then the US and the Allies were just behind the Resistance.

Unlike the Partisans in Poland and most of Eastern Europe, most of the Resistance in Western Europe, has little effect on the prosecution of the war. Some of this was because agents and equip- ment had to either be air dropped or come in by sea. So even though the Allies tried real hard to foment problems for the Germans in occupied territory, for the most they did little damage.

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Author Olivier Wieviorka published the book “The Resistance in Western Europe, 1940–1945 (European Perspectives: A Series in Social Thought and Cultural Criticism)” in 2019.

I categorize this book as ‘G’. This book tells the story of the various resistance organizations in Western Europe during WWII. It also covers how the Allies dealt with them.

The book covers the resistance movements in Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Italy. It does not focus so much on the activities of the resistance units. It mostly looks at the political and administrative aspects.

I enjoyed the 16+ hours I spent reading this 447-page history. This was a very long read! It comes across as a very academic work. This also means that it was a bit of a struggle to read. I found that I could only dedicate 60-90 minutes at a time to it. This is perfect if you want to know more about what went on behind the scene. The cover art is OK but does not seem to portray the book content well. I give this book a 3.5 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

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