The French Resistance
Emmanuel D'Astier
Emmanuel D’Astier- Born in Paris, France, in 1900. D’Astier was a student at the Naval Academy in France. However, he left the French Navy in 1924. After leaving the Navy, Emmanuel was a poet and a journalist. He also became interested in politics until the Spanish Civil War and the beginning of Nazi Germany. D’Astier then rejoined the French Navy and was head of naval intelligence until the armistice with Germany was signed in June, 1940.
After the French signed the armistice with Germany, Emmanuel joined a small resistance group based in Lyons in the South of France. The group’s numbers grew stronger and D’Astier eventually became leader of the Liberation-sud resistance group. The first major resistance group after Germany occupied France and it started to publish Liberation in 1941. D’Astier also helped form the Conseil National de la Resistance (CNR). The CNR consisted of 8 of the major resistance groups. D’Astier was given the Lenin Peace Prize in 1958. He then died on June 12th, 1969, in Paris, France.
After the French signed the armistice with Germany, Emmanuel joined a small resistance group based in Lyons in the South of France. The group’s numbers grew stronger and D’Astier eventually became leader of the Liberation-sud resistance group. The first major resistance group after Germany occupied France and it started to publish Liberation in 1941. D’Astier also helped form the Conseil National de la Resistance (CNR). The CNR consisted of 8 of the major resistance groups. D’Astier was given the Lenin Peace Prize in 1958. He then died on June 12th, 1969, in Paris, France.
Charles Delestraint
Born in France in 1879, and a WWI Veteran for France. However, he spent most of his days in the First World War as a prisoner of war. He remained in the army until 1939 when he retired except Delestraint was called back during the Second World War. Here, he led the counter-attack against the German Army at Abbeville on June 3rd-4th, 1940. When France surrendered to Germany, Charles retired once again.
After Delestraint retired, Henry Frenay recruited him to the French Resistance. Soon after, he became the head of the Armee Secrete and returned back to France on March 24, 1943. Delestraint was arrested by the Gestapo on June 9th, 1943, after Rene Hardy was arrested and gave the Gestapo all of his information. Soon after being arrested he was deported to Nazi Germany, and not later shot in Dachau by the German SS on April 19th, 1945.
After Delestraint retired, Henry Frenay recruited him to the French Resistance. Soon after, he became the head of the Armee Secrete and returned back to France on March 24, 1943. Delestraint was arrested by the Gestapo on June 9th, 1943, after Rene Hardy was arrested and gave the Gestapo all of his information. Soon after being arrested he was deported to Nazi Germany, and not later shot in Dachau by the German SS on April 19th, 1945.
Henri Frenay
Born in Lyon, France in 1905. He joined the French Army during WWII and acquired the rank of captain. He was captured at Vosges during Germany’s Western Offensive. On June 27th, 1940, Frenay escaped as prisoner of war in Alsace. After escaping, he went to Marseilles. Here joined the French Resistance in February 1941. Frenay published many underground newspapers, like Les Petities Ailes and Verites, along with helping form “Combat” in November, 1941. Frenay also helped create the CNR. When Jean Moulin and Charles Delestraint were captured by the Gestapo, Frenay fled to Algiers. In 1943, Henri became the minister of prisoners, deportees, and refugees. He went back to France with De Gaulle in 1944 and served in the government. He wrote an autobiography, “The Night Will End: Memoirs of a Revolutionary” in 1976, and later died in 1988.
Works Cited
Simkin, John. "Spartacus Educational." Spartacus Educational. Spartacus Educational Publishers Ltd., 2014. Web. 08 May 2016.
<http://spartacus-educational.com/2WWdelestraint.htm>.
Simkin, John. "Spartacus Educational." Spartacus Educational. Spartacus Educational Publishers Ltd., 2014. Web. 08 May 2016.
<http://spartacus-educational.com/FRastier.htm>.
Simkin, John. "Spartacus Educational." Spartacus Educational. Spartacus Educational Publishers Ltd., 2014. Web. 08 May 2016.
<http://spartacus-educational.com/FRfrenay.htm>.
Page by SH
<http://spartacus-educational.com/2WWdelestraint.htm>.
Simkin, John. "Spartacus Educational." Spartacus Educational. Spartacus Educational Publishers Ltd., 2014. Web. 08 May 2016.
<http://spartacus-educational.com/FRastier.htm>.
Simkin, John. "Spartacus Educational." Spartacus Educational. Spartacus Educational Publishers Ltd., 2014. Web. 08 May 2016.
<http://spartacus-educational.com/FRfrenay.htm>.
Page by SH