In France under the early German occupation(1940-1941), the pro-Petain Resistance forces were larger than the anti-Vichy and anti-Petain Resistance forces. Above all, this situation arose from the fact that it was quite common for the French people to regard Marshal Petain, ‘a hero of the first World War’, as a savior/protector of their fatherland. Frenay’s ‘Liberation Nationale’, ‘Liberte’ and the General Cochet did not only admire Petain as an individual, but also supported the domestic policy of Vichy government. The attitude favorable to Petain was discovered even in several anti-Vichy Resistance organizations. However, there were certainly the anti-Vichy and anti-Petain Resistance organizations from the outset such as ‘Valmy’, La France continue, ‘Liberation-Sud’, Cahiers du Temoignage chretien, ‘Franc-Tireur’, and the French Communist Party. Except for the French Communist Party and Valmy, most of these appeared quite late. It meant that these groups launched their activities when the pro-Petain Resistance organizations already began to change their positions toward anti-Petain. While the French Communist Party converted from ambiguous neutrality to hostility and resistance toward the German occupation authorities, some Resistance organizations such as ‘Liberation Nationale’ and ‘Liberte’, changed from pro-Petain to anti-Petain positions. Both cases converged into the same anti-German and anti-Vichy stance. Conversion from pro-Petain to anti-Petain by some Resistance organizations, above all, was attributed to the actions of Vichy government and its head, Petain, whose collaboration with Germany had expanded into the military field and repression of the Resistance. This conversion was more propelled by the integration of Liberation Nationale and Liberte. The outcome of this integration, Combat finally declared a separation from Petain in May 1942.
A la premiere periode de la Occupation allemande(1940-1941) en France, les forces de la Resistance pro-petainiste etaient plus grandes que celles anti-vichyssoises et anti-petainistes. Cela tient, en premier lieu, au fait que parmi les Francais, l’opinion pour le Marechal Petain, ‘hero de la Grande Guerre’, comme sauveur/ protecteur de la patrie etait tres commun. ‘Liberation Nationale’ de Frenay, ‘Liberte’ et le General Cochet non seulement admiraient la personne de Petain, mais aussi appuiyaient la politique domestique du gouvernement de Vichy. L’attitude favorable a Petain a ete assiste meme dans certaines organisations de la Resistance anti-vichyssoise. Des le debut, cependant, il existait sans aucun doute des organisations anti-vichyssoises et anti-petainistes. ‘Valmy’, La France continue, ‘Liberation-Sud’, Cahiers du Temoignage chretien, ‘Franc-Tireur’ et le PCF appartenaient a cette categorie. Parmi eux, toutes sauf PCF et Valmy ont vu le jour assez tard. Cela dit qu’elles sont entrees en scene pendant que les organisations de la Resistance pro-petainiste ont deja commence a changer leur positions en celles anti-petainistes. Alors que le PCF s’est converti de la neutralite ambiguea l’opposition et la resistance, certaines organisations de la Resistance comme ‘Liberation Nationale’ et ‘Liberte’ se sont changees de pro-petainiste a anti-petainiste. Tous deux cas ont converge a la meme attitude anti-allemande et anti-vichyssoise. La conversion de pro-petainiste a anti-petainiste au milieu de certaines organisations de la Resistance a ete, tout d’abord, causee des actions du gouvernement de Vichy et de son chef, Petain, dont la collaboration avec l’Allemagne s’etait etendue sur le secteur militaire et la repression de la Resistance. Cette conversion a ete acceleree par la fusion de Liberation Nationale et Liberte. Combat, la fruit de cette fusion, a finalement declaire la separation de Petain en mai 1942.