Unrecognized Resistance

At a time of differing perceptions of and frayed relations between the historic alliance between France and the United States, this volume merits the attention of serious people in government service and a wider public. It describes deeds of enormous courage, performed at great risk, in a time of crisis. The behavior of American soldiers and intelligence officers, and the extraordinary support from ordinary French men and women in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, is a story too little remembered today, and even less frequently told. This volume is an edited summary of what transpired at a unique colloquium held in the Salle Mdicis of the Palais du Luxembourg in Paris in December 2000, and hosted by the president of the French Senate. The results highlight the importance of historical documentation of this period of tragedy and heroism. Those present acknowledged the special nature of the friendship between France and the United States, more than half a century after that unique time of cooperation between French and Americans during the Resistance. That this friendship has been preserved for more than 225 years, since Benjamin Franklin first visited Paris in the eighteenth century, is extraordinary testimony to its resilience, as well as to the enduring commitment to liberty shared by both countries.The event was charged with the emotion of history. That emotion was given greater meaning by the presence of younger attendees, many of whom had never heard their elders speak publicly about the Unrecognized Resistance. All were very much aware that this was an uncommon occasion and, because of the continuing march of time, would very possibly be the last one like it. The importance and emotionalism of this event has been captured by one of the foremost scholars in contemporary European history, François-Georges Dreyfus. Unrecognized Resistance will be mandatory reading for anyone interested in modern history, World War II, international relations, studies in reciprocity, and building lasting coalitions.

Francois-Georges Dreyfus