What role did the anti-Nazi resistance play in the eventual defeat of Germany’s Third Reich? Apparently, a much larger role than most people are aware of.
Part One: “Why Resist?” investigates the shock experienced by victims of Hitler’s war machine when it invaded Poland in September 1939.
The German Army conquered Poland in a matter of weeks because of a policy of Blitzkrieg (lightning war) carried out by the Wehrmacht. It is similar to what we would now label as “shock and awe,” or an overwhelming force that strikes for a rapid victory. Hitler’s generals then went on to occupy several countries in Europe over the next two years.
Consequently, by 1940, small pockets of resistance began to emerge in Belgium, France, Greece, Holland, Norway, and other countries because of the harsh indignities the occupiers perpetrated against the populations. Those who possessed courage and patriotism began to distribute clandestine newspapers. They publicized occupation conditions and set up meetings for civilians to impede harsh edicts applied in cities and the countryside. Great Britain began to support some of these resistance efforts as British leaders realized the threat that Nazi Germany posed to democracy and stability.
Part Two: “Growing the Resistance” covers the period after the initial shock had worn off and methods were formulated to fight back against an unprovoked occupation. However, some leaders, such as Philippe Pétain of Vichy France and Vidkun Quisling of Norway, collaborated with the Nazis, which made it more difficult for resisters to counter Nazi tyranny. Indeed, the name Quisling became a derogatory term describing anyone who is a traitorous collaborator.
By 1940–1941, the resistance to fascism became better organized across 15 countries, including the Soviet Union, with assistance from Britain as well as homegrown partisans. The British Liaison Office, Office of Strategic Services (the precursor to the CIA), Secret Intelligence Service, and Special Operations Executive (SOE) all played a part in protecting Britain and supplying fighters to the continent with intelligence and weapons. However, weapons were more difficult to smuggle because of German security at airports, harbors, and key rail and road transit points.
British agents inserted into Western Europe had to assume new identities and absorb particular cultures while keeping under the radar. It was a high-risk enterprise during which lives were at stake because of Nazi intelligence gathering, use of informants, and security patrols. Moreover, most of the occupied citizenry were intimidated by the Nazis and were hesitant to rebel or assist organized resisters. The resisters would often target bridges, railroads, and weapons depots in order to disrupt supply lines and delay German advances. In response to these actions, Gestapo reprisals were brutal against defiant partisans and ordinary citizens who were suspected to have assisted established resisters.
Part Three: “Resistance In Action” takes the reader from 1942 until the war’s close in 1945. By 1942, there were several paramilitary and civilian resistance groups all across Europe. At times, they would fight among themselves regarding tactical methods and overall goals. Coupled with this issue, communist ideas were circulating around Europe, although most of the communists were battling Nazi fascism. At times, it was difficult to identify the enemy. For example, Marxist political leaders Enver Hoxha of Albania and Josip Tito of Yugoslavia fought against fascism yet embraced totalitarianism.
During this time frame, there were failures and successes on the part of resisters who opposed forced labor edicts and persecution by the Nazi apparatus. Gestapo crackdowns disrupted operations but also stiffened the resolve of the resisters. During the final three years, there were some spectacular successes that included blowing up ammunition warehouses, bridges, railroad tracks, and trains. The Paris and Warsaw uprisings were brutally suppressed after inflicting some damage on the German war machine.
Moreover, two agents from Czechoslovakia who were trained in London by the SOE managed to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich in the spring of 1942. Known as the Butcher of Prague, Heydrich was one of the foremost designers of the Holocaust, and he used ruthless Gestapo methods in multiple countries.
The continuous actions by resistance fighters helped Allied forces finally draw the war in Europe to an end in May 1945. Certainly, the losses on all sides were staggering, but liberation was finally achieved. Ironically, the defeat of the Third Reich didn’t bring peace to all of the affected nations. Several countries experienced internal strife because of a competition between democratic and socialist views regarding future governance. Eastern Europe was drawn into the Soviet orbit as satellite states (composing the Iron Curtain) for 46 years. To varying degrees, the East–West divide has endured in some countries despite the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.
Although Kochanski’s “Resistance” is a hefty tome of 829 pages, with an additional 90 pages of notes and sources, it’s definitely worth the read. It is engaging, very informative, easily readable, and one of the most comprehensive descriptions of the resistance against the Nazi juggernaut ever written. The author’s meticulous portrayal is highly recommended.
