Hidden Armies of the Second World War - World War II Resistance Movements

A comprehensive and compelling history of the resistance movements that operated in every German-occupied nation between 1939 and 1941.
Even though much of Europe eventually succumbed to the Nazis during World War II, many Europeans defiantly resisted occupation in every way possible. This captivating book provides a survey of these resistance movements during the period of Axis occupation and recounts the ways in which unarmed citizens undermined Nazi efforts at domination. A thorough description of the Axis conquest of Europe, the formation of the Special Operations Executive in Britain, and the Office of Strategic Services in the United States provides a backdrop for this turbulent time in history.

Chapters cover the resistance organizations, their leaders, and other key individuals behind their operations. The book details the movement's furtive tactics that included spreading information, providing the Allies with key intelligence, conducting industrial sabotage, destroying bridges and factories, and fighting behind the lines. Case studies of resistance operations in France, Norway, Holland, Denmark, Poland, Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, the Balkans, Greece, Italy, and within Nazi Germany itself show the scope and breadth of the resistance movement throughout the world.

List of contents

Introduction
Chapter 1 The Axis Conquest of Europe (1938-1941)
Chapter 2 Setting Europe Ablaze
Britain, the United States, and the Creation of the Allied Resistance Organizations
Chapter 3 "Vive la Résistance!"
The Story of the French Resistance (June 1940-June 1944)
Chapter 4 Resistance in Northern Europe
Norway, Holland, and Denmark
Chapter 5 Anthropoid
The Czech Resistance and the Mission to Kill Reinhard Heydrich
Chapter 6 Tragedy in Warsaw
The Polish Resistance and the Tragedy of the Warsaw Uprisings
Chapter 7 Standing Against Hitler
The Resistance in Germany
Chapter 8 Red Resistance
The Partisan Movement in the Soviet Union
Chapter 9 Resistance in the Mediterranean
The Resistance Movements in Italy and the Balkans
Chapter 10 "The Sun of Our Grandeur"
The French Resistance and the Liberation, from D-Day to the Paris Uprising
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index

About the author

Patrick G. Zander is associate professor of history at Georgia Gwinnett College, USA. His Hidden Armies of the Second World War was named a 2018 Choice "Outstanding Academic Title."

Product details

• Authors: Patrick Zander, Patrick G. Zander
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 03.10.2017
• EAN: 9781440833038
• ISBN: 978-1-4408-3303-8
• No. of pages: 288
• Weight: 652 g
• Illustrations: 8 bw illus
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > General, dictionaries; Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; HISTORY / Military / General, HISTORY / World, 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000, General & world history, Second World War, c 1938 to c 1946 (World War Two period), General and world history, Modern warfare, c 1939 to c 1945 (including WW2), Irregular or guerrilla forces & warfare, Irregular or guerrilla forces and warfare, HISTORY / Wars & Conflicts / World War II / General, HISTORY / Military / Guerrilla Warfare