Olivier Wieviorka presents a comprehensive history of the French Resistance, synthesizing its social, political, and military aspects to offer fresh insights into its operation. Detailing the Resistance from the inside out, he reveals not one organization but many interlocking groups often at odds over goals, methods, and leadership. He debunks lingering myths, including the idea that the Resistance sprang up in response to the exhortations of de Gaulle's Free French government-in-exile. The Resistance was homegrown, arising from the soil of French civil society.

"Originally published as Histoire de la Resistance : 1940-1945"--Title page verso.

1. The call -- 2. Parties and labor unions -- 3. Birth of the movements -- 4. Engagement -- 5. Game change -- 6. Rallying behind de Gaulle -- 7. Fighting the same battle? -- 8. Responses to persecution of the Jews -- 9. The internal resistance in 1943 -- 10. The long road to unity -- 11. Caluire and its repercussions -- 12. Power struggles in Algiers and their consequences -- 13. In order of battle --14. Formez vos bataillons! -- 15. Social components -- 16. The repression -- 17. Incomplete victory -- 18. A divided memory -- Conclusion-- Notes -- Chronology -- Selected bibliography -- Acknowledgments -- Index.