Combat (French Resistance)

Combat was a large movement in the French Resistance created in the non-occupied zone of France during the Second World War (1939–1945).

Combat was one of the eight great resistance movements which constituted the Conseil national de la Résistance.

Combat, also known under its former name Mouvement de libération nationale (MLN), was active both in the unoccupied zone in southern France and in the occupied north.

Combat was created in August 1940 in Lyon by Henri Frenay, supported by Berty Albrecht. Through a system of regional heads, he spread the movement through six regions within the free zone:

New regions appeared later, particularly in the north of France (e.g. Jura and Brittany).

Little by little, the MLN (subsequently renamed the Mouvement de Libération Française), merged with other smaller networks in the regions where it took root. On merging with the Liberté network at the end of 1941, the movement took on the name of Combat. At this point, however, Combat took a Gaullist approach, causing a split with other networks which tended towards Philippe Pétain. The break caused Combat's sources of information to be diminished somewhat. A satellite organization by the name of Combat-zone nord, was also created in the occupied zone, specifically in Paris. The organiser was Robert Guédon, called Robert. Combat-zone nord proved to be quite active, quickly growing its network into several regions of the occupied zone such as the Nord-Pas-de-Calais .

Among the initial Combat members planted in the occupied zone, there was an agent of the Abwehr, Henri Devillers, involved in linking and communications between the parts of the movement in the free and occupied zones. Jean-Paul Lien, another member of combat, learned about Devilliers' treachery by accident from two German agents. Lien alerted Henri Frenay, who had no power to stop Devilliers. 47 members of Combat were arrested, 31 by the Gestapo and 16 by the French police, of whom only two would be released. They were tried by the Volkgerichthof (people's tribunal) and 23 were sentenced to death; this was referred to as the affaire Continent. The movement was completely disbanded in the occupied zone between the end of 1941 and the beginning of 1942. Frenay decided not to rebuild there but to concentrate all his efforts in the free zone. A new movement was born from the ashes of Combat-zone nord, Ceux de la Résistance, founded by Jacques Lecompte-Boinet.

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