Were there any French military efforts in WWII after the occupation?

by [deleted]

It doesn't have to be organised by a French institution. just Frenchmen in general.

brandonthegrey

Yes, quite many!

-Vichy France continued to operate a French military after their defeat at the hands of the Nazis. This included colonial forces as well as main army forces. Admiral Francois Darlan even offered the Nazis the use of French troops in operations against the allies, but Hitler and his senior military staff distrusted the French too much to use them. That said, Vichy forces were still used in fighting the allies, particularly in Operation Torch, the invasion of Vichy French North Africa. A brief summary of some of their actions can be found here.

-Charles De Gaulle organized the "Free" French Forces, made up of exiled Frenchman who refused to collaborate with the "official" Vichy government. They took part in numerous Allied operations, including on D-Day. They were also allowed to be the first units into Paris when it was liberated. Brief informaiton here.

-The French resistance became a critical part of the allied invasion plans of both Normandy and Southern France. They were particularly helpful in gathering intelligence on German troop movements and fortifications, and, during the invasions, acted to disrupt command and communications of Axis forces. The resistance was made up of a hugely varied number of groups, from disparate bands of communists to the large mountain networkd of the Maquis in the rural mountain regions. After the invasions, these forces were largely formalized into something similar to a National Guard, the so-called French Forces of the Interior. A really good overview of the resistance can be found in Matthew Cobb's The Resistance: The French Fight Against the Nazis.

EDIT: Just for accessability and for easy reading, here are some pertinent wiki links for you:

Free French Forces Liberation of Paris [French Forces of the Interior](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Forces_of_the_Interior French Resistance The Maquis Central Bureau of Intelligence and Operations Vichy French "Army of the Armistice" Vichy Paramilitary Forces similar to the Resistance

SMALL EDIT: I accidentally listed Darlan as a Marshal. He was in fact an Admiral.

alainphoto

Thank you for the great answers.

On a related note, as this was not covered in answers yet, would anyone know how many frenchmen directly joined the different allied armies (ex RAF) and, in the case they have been incorporated in dedicated units if those have a particular combat history ?

May I also extend the scope to the Belgian too, especially the french-speaking ones ?