Plans+Vert,+Bleu,+Torte,+and+Violet

=Plans Vert, Bleu, Torte, and Violet=

From as early as elementary school, kids are taught about WWII and how countries came together as allies for a common purpose. It is taught that Americans, British, and Canadians came together as allies in order to drive the Germans out of France. What isn’t as well known about this period is that even though France were controlled by the Germans, the French played a large part in the final victory of the Allies.

The French Resistance was a period of time in the early 1940’s that is unique to the history of the French people. It is an example of the pride that the French people have always had in their country. When the French were forced to surrender to the Germans in 1940, their lives began to change as new German laws were enforced. Although the Germans seemed much more strong and more powerful than France, the French people were not going to give up on their country without a fight.

The Resistance began with small groups of people, but eventually groups joined forces. Together, they began to see the amount of power that they could have against the Germans. The Resistance groups planned four major operations. The first they planned was named “Plan Vert” (Plan Green), which including sabotaging the major railways that the Germans were using. The second plan was “Plan Bleu” (Plan Blue), to destroy electrical facilities. The third was called “Plan Violet”, which was done by cutting underground communication cables. The last of the plans that led up to liberation of the French was “Plan Torte”, (Plan Turtle). This plan was composed of delaying the German reinforcements that were coming to Normandy to assist the Germans during the D-Day attacks in 1994.

Although the plans started out with few people and hardly any supplies, they were very successful. Without the French uniting to defend their country, it is possible that WWII would have ended differently for the Allies.