This is an interesting question you're asking. I don't think the French really take pride in their attitude during WWII. We know we have much to be ashamed of, namely our behaviour during the first weeks of war, although we may have some *excuses* (i.e., the trauma from WWI). After that, it becomes blurred.
After the war, De Gaulle, who was a "first-hour resistant" as we say here, has always tried to build a portrait of a glorious resistant France. Therefore, the official stance was : France was occupied by an enemy force against its will -- it was backed by a handful of fascist supporters -- but the vast majority of French remained loyal to democracy and the Republic, and tried to resist as much as they could.
Well, an accurate study of History proves that this wasn't 100 % true. France was occupied against its will, but everyone was relieved by Marshall Pétain's armistice that stopped the war. Then, occupied France continued to work, thanks to its French administration backbone, including the French police -- that occasionally would give a hand to round up and help deport hundred of jews. As for the French Resistance, well, there were very few resistants in 1941, but there were so many in 1944-45.
I remember when I was a school kid back in the 80s, I would ask my fellow schollmates about what their grandfathers had done during WWII. They all would tell me about what a glorious resistant their grandfather had been. I guess it's just natural, everyone likes to side with the heroes and the victors.
To sum up this difficult era, I like to speak of my grandmother's example. Just plain ordinary people struggling during war times and trying to make a living (my grandmother was in her late teens, and her father had just died). Giving a hand to the Resistance when they could, but above everything, just trying to stay alive.
My grandma was working in some printing shop. Once, the Resistance came, and asked her boss whether he could print a few flyers for them. The boss agreed to it, and they did it for a few months. But then, the boss got scared, and he stopped doing it, cos he said it was too risky. He then stopped going to work as well, and just stayed home. So did my grandma, for she couldn't work if her boss wasn't there. About two weeks later, the Germans came, rounded up the building, and shot everyone that was still working at the printing shop. They even killed the driver from the delivery truck who had nothing to do with it and was just there delievering paper and ink.
So, my grandma is happy that she and her boss had stopped printing those flyers on time. She is not ashamed to tell the story. She also tells a lot of stories about how she had to cycle for 50 km in order to lay hand on some butter, or how her house was searched at night by the French police working together with the German army, or the times when the USAAF bombed down a whole neighbourhood in Lyon, because the B-29 were flying so high they couldn't possibly aim properly. She also tells me about how she saw two US soldiers walking down her street once, and she and her mother invited them over for fresh lemonade. One of them was cute, and he took a picture from her.
This is an interesting question you're asking. I don't think the French really take pride in their attitude during WWII. We know we have much to be ashamed of, namely our behaviour during the first weeks of war, although we may have some *excuses* (i.e., the trauma from WWI). After that, it becomes blurred.
After the war, De Gaulle, who was a "first-hour resistant" as we say here, has always tried to build a portrait of a glorious resistant France. Therefore, the official stance was : France was occupied by an enemy force against its will -- it was backed by a handful of fascist supporters -- but the vast majority of French remained loyal to democracy and the Republic, and tried to resist as much as they could.
Well, an accurate study of History proves that this wasn't 100 % true. France was occupied against its will, but everyone was relieved by Marshall Pétain's armistice that stopped the war. Then, occupied France continued to work, thanks to its French administration backbone, including the French police -- that occasionally would give a hand to round up and help deport hundred of jews. As for the French Resistance, well, there were very few resistants in 1941, but there were so many in 1944-45.
I remember when I was a school kid back in the 80s, I would ask my fellow schollmates about what their grandfathers had done during WWII. They all would tell me about what a glorious resistant their grandfather had been. I guess it's just natural, everyone likes to side with the heroes and the victors.
To sum up this difficult era, I like to speak of my grandmother's example. Just plain ordinary people struggling during war times and trying to make a living (my grandmother was in her late teens, and her father had just died). Giving a hand to the Resistance when they could, but above everything, just trying to stay alive.
My grandma was working in some printing shop. Once, the Resistance came, and asked her boss whether he could print a few flyers for them. The boss agreed to it, and they did it for a few months. But then, the boss got scared, and he stopped doing it, cos he said it was too risky. He then stopped going to work as well, and just stayed home. So did my grandma, for she couldn't work if her boss wasn't there. About two weeks later, the Germans came, rounded up the building, and shot everyone that was still working at the printing shop. They even killed the driver from the delivery truck who had nothing to do with it and was just there delievering paper and ink.
So, my grandma is happy that she and her boss had stopped printing those flyers on time. She is not ashamed to tell the story. She also tells a lot of stories about how she had to cycle for 50 km in order to lay hand on some butter, or how her house was searched at night by the French police working together with the German army, or the times when the USAAF bombed down a whole neighbourhood in Lyon, because the B-29 were flying so high they couldn't possibly aim properly. She also tells me about how she saw two US soldiers walking down her street once, and she and her mother invited them over for fresh lemonade. One of them was cute, and he took a picture from her.
CRC