Resistance movement

A resistance movement is a group dedicated to fighting an invader in an occupied country. It can also be any organized effort by supporters of a common goal against a constituted authority. This can include any irregular armed force that rises up against an enforced or established authority, government, or administration. Some resistance movement are underground organization engaged in a struggle for national liberation in a country under military or totalitarian occupation.

The use of the term resistance is politically weighted, as it (and historically, other terms like it) is often used in propaganda used to drum up support in opposition to "foreign intervention." An organization or individuals critical of foreign intervention that supports forms of organized movement (particularly where citizens are affected) tends to favor the term, as well as freedom fighters when with violence, which can be ambiguous terms for describing terrorist actors.

Tactics of resistance movements range from passive resistance and industrial sabotage to what would today be regarded as guerrilla (or guerilla) warfare and terrorism. Resistance movements conduct sabotage and harassment. Contemporary acts of a group that considers itself a resistance movement are usually condemned as terrorism by the government they are directed against, even when such attacks are directed against military targets.

In World War II, many countries had resistance movements dedicated to fighting the German invaders. There was also an anti-Nazi German resistance movement within Germany itself. Although Britain was not invaded in World War II, preparations were made for a British resistance movement in the event of a German invasion.

Resistance movements

Some were groups of few people, and some may be considered terrorist campaigns by some people:

Post-World War II

• The guerrilla groups the National Libertion Front (FLN) and National Algerian Movement (MNA) who resisted French colonial rule during the Algerian War of Independence
• The ANC, PAC and other political and guerrilla movements that resisted the apartheid regime in South Africa
• The Mujahadeen in Soviet occupied Afghanistan
• Hizbollah (or Hezbollah), a Lebanese militant group who resisted the Israeli military occupation of various parts of Lebanon through guerrilla warfare until Israeli forces left the Southern Lebanese "security zone" in 2000
• Chechen separatist guerrillas nominally under separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov (elected President of Chechnya in 1997) fighting against what they see as a Russian occupation of their country
• The Palestinian militant (or guerrilla) groups such as the PLO, Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the West Bank and Gaza Strip during the first intifada (or uprising) and the second Al-Aqsa Intifada against Israeli military occupation
• The Iraqi resistance is the "insurgency" against the multinational force in Iraq of Iraq

World War II

• Armia Krajowa, Polish underground army in World War II (400 000 sworn members)
• Żydowska Organizacja Bojowa (ZOB), Jewish resistance movement that led the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943.
• The French resistance movement in World War II, including the Maquis.
• The White Rose, a German resistance movement in World War II
• The Red Orchestra, a German resistance movement, which included the only American executed by the Nazis for belonging to an anti-Nazi organization.
• Norwegian resistance movement in World War II
• Danish resistance movement in World War II
• Italian resistance movement in World War II
• The Yugoslav National Liberation Army
• Czech Resistance movement
• Ukrainian Insurgent Army - fought both Nazi, Soviet and Polish forces
• Partisans - the soviet WWII resistance movement, which had Moscow-organized and spontaneously formed cells

Planned resistance movements:

• The Wehrwolf (also spelled Wehrwölfe or Werwolf) was a planned Nazi resistance movement against the victorious Allies after the defeat of the Nazi government at the end of World War II.
• The Auxiliary Units organized by Colonel Colin Gubbins were created as a British resistance movement against a possible successful invasion of the British Isles by Nazi forces.

Pre-20th Century

• Underground Railroad, Pre-American Civil War American slave escape network
• Carbonari - 19th century Italian movement resisting Austrian rule.

Notable individuals in the resistance movements

• Mildred Harnack
• Mordechaj Anielewicz
• Jean Moulin
• Christian Pineau
• Laura Secord
• Yasser Arafat
• Aslan Maskhadov

See also

• Special Operations Executive
• Collaboration (quite the opposite of resistance)
• Covert cell