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Collaboration and Resistance during the Second World War

During World War II, colonization and collaboration took multiple forms. Collaboration by people in France ranged from a mere survival tactic to admonition of enemies. In either case, collaboration meant that you were working with the Nazis. This essay will focus on collaboration and resistance during World War II. The essay will demonstrate of how Nazism had established occupation ideologies based on scientific racism. While occupants in Denmark received mild brutality due to the ideology that they were second to Germans, occupants in Poland received brutal treatment due to the ideology that they were subhuman. The irony of taking political sides is that both collaborators and resistors were considered trailers and suffered vicious sentences and death for their deeds.

Collaboration in France

In France, collaboration took multiple forms including ideological collaboration, nationalistic collaboration, anti- bolshevism, and economic collaboration. Vidkun Quisling, a Norwegian collaborator, was labeled a trailer for embracing Hitler’s ideologies. Quisling adopted some of the most unrealistic ideologies including eliminating the Jews, Muslims, and those considered enemies, causing a significant dent in the Norwegian government. The nationalistic collaboration was characterized by the creation of “puppet states” with the hope of acquiring an independent entry.  The Josef Tiso of Czechoslovakia and Ante Pavelic’ of Croatia dragged their states into the ruthless treatment of the Nazi, with the ideology that it was better than losing.

The Vichy Regime (1940) under Marshal Petain is the most common form of economic collaboration in France. Marshal Petain’s philosophy was that Britain was responsible for their defeat by the Germans due to their failure to support them. In turn, Pertain collaborated with Germany against Britain, resulting in massive destructions such as the loss of French ships in the Mers- el- Kebir event in Algeria. In post-war France, certain myths are associated with the Vichy Regime. As Pearl (Pearl, 2021) highlights, first was that the French lost due to limited supporters of the Vichy regimes; two was that majority resisted Germany, and three was that the Germans were to be solely blamed for their fate .

Resistance Movement outside France

Resistance outside France featured the Danish resistance from Denmark, Polish partisans in Poland, and the governments in exiles including those in London. A key contributor would be the Norwegian resistance for eliminating the chances of Germany building atomic weapons by destroying the Norwegian water plant.  Resistance outside France played a significant role through leaking information and showing support to their native country.

Collaboration and Resistance in Germany

The Nazis had made their stance on being relentless towards any act of resistance. The fear installed by the regime ensured resistance in Germany was moderately limited.  Among the key activists of the Nazi regime were intellectuals, religious leaders, soldiers, and youths. Johann Georg Elser is an example of a true anti-Nazi, who almost killed Hitler by planting a bomb in his beer hall hangout. Later on Operation Valkyries of July 1944 led by Claus von Stauffenberg followed in an attempt to murder Hitler. One lesson to learn from Hitler’s narrow escape from his death is the loyalty he had enforced on his people (Pearl, 2021). The Hitler Oath taken by the German soldiers enabled the him to manipulate and demand loyalty from his soldiers, maximizing security and safety coverage.

When it came to religion, the Catholic Church was the first to initiate collaboration by signing the Concordat Agreement of 1933. The Agreement excluded the church from taking an active role in political matters which would, in turn, initiate a split based on religious grounds. While Catholics represented the South, the north was dominated by Protestants who embraced the Nazi regime, taking active roles in support of their ideologies. Regardless, there breed religious socialists who repelled Nazi directives, the likes of pastor Martin Niemoller and Dietrich Bonheoffer.  These religious activists used their platforms to spread non-political ideologies to the younger generations.  Among intellects was the  Kreisau circle featuring 25 German intellects who felt the need to discuss the future of Germany. The Kreisau circle of intellects had witnessed the atrocities of the World war and felt that they should plan for the post-war directives of Germany.  The youths also played an active role in resistance.  The White Rose group gained recognition for its bravely in attempting to resist the Nazis. The White Rose group, led by Nurse Sophie Scholl and her brother, worked with the French to defame Nazi ideologies through writings. Regardless, like any other group of resistance, the White Rose members were captured and faced relentless treatment.

In a nutshell, Nazism featured avid anti-communism, anti-Semitism, racism , intense nationalism and dictatorial rule (Pearl,2021). Resistance of Hitler’s rule may have been suicidal but in the long-run it may have been the most heroic and valiant deed of the human race.