70th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CREATION OF THE FRENCH RESISTANCE COMMITTEE

Today, May 27 2013, throughout the country, celebrations have been held to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the first joint meeting of the CNR : Conseil National de la Résistance, which was led by Jean Moulin. 

On such occasions the 'Chant des Partisans' is usually played, after the national anthem, La Marseillaise 

Today there are still many people who see the French Resistance as an homogeneous movement, whose members rallied in harmony to fight for freedom and against the Nazis. 

But in those days of 1943, the picture was quite a different one. Within this movement, a lot of different political views were held, especially when it came to discussing what would happen after the war was won. 

Obviously the Communists and Socialists among them did not share the same opinions as those who had followed Maurras and his Action Française before the war. And yet many of both camps had fled to London and pledged to obey de Gaulle's orders from there.  

So, when de Gaulle appointed Jean Moulin as head of the CNR, a few were upset, to say the least. Jean Moulin had already organized underground action for a couple of years, but he had enemies. It was his task to reconcile all eight groups of resistants, and to unite them within the CNR. 

Unfortunately, on June 7, 1943, a month after this first meeting, Jean Moulin was arrested in Caluire, near Lyon. Tortured by Klaus Barbie, he never spoke and died on a train, at the Metz railway station, while being taken to a concentration camp. 

This year the celebrations have taken particular momentum. Below are some photos of the form they took, in Nice, where I live.

Professor Jean-Louis Panicacci, President of the MRA (Musée de la Résistance Azuréenne) gave a most interesting speech on Jean Moulin and the Resistance movement. 

This is a monument in honour of General de Gaulle, 

near a square formerly called PLACE DE LA LIBÉRATION

now called PLACE DE GAULLE

This part of the sculpture is 

a particular tribute to those who were sent to 

concentration camps on account of their political views. 

JEAN MOULIN ALSO SPENT TIME - undercover-  IN NICE, WHERE HE LIVED  

22, RUE DE FRANCE - SUPPOSEDLY HIS ARTIST'S STUDIO, 
a plaque commemorates his presence there.