Between 1939 and 1941, Nazi Germany invaded Poland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, The Netherlands, and France. WWII lasted until 1945 and involved all of the world’s major powers. Hitler’s racist ideology and brutal concept of power caused him to set certain goals in Europe, such as creating slave labor, advancing the ideal blonde/blue-eyed Aryan race, and the genocide of Europe’s Jews.
The Gestapo was the German secret police.
France in World War II:
In the summer of 1940, France was forced to surrender to the Nazis. France was split into two regions; one was occupied by German troops and the other governed by a more or less puppet regime collaborating with the Germans.
Resistance groups were active throughout France. Their activities included guerrilla warfare, spying and reporting information to allies, sabotage, and distributing anti-Nazi literature. Resistance was extremely dangerous; if caught, the consequences were brutal and fatal.
Code Name Verity
by
October 11th, 1943--A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun. When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution. As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy? A universally acclaimed Michael L. Printz Award Honor book, Code Name Verity is a visceral read of danger, resolve, and survival that shows just how far true friends will go to save each other.
Watch the two videos
The French Resistance or Life in German-Occupied France (Resistance info starts at 9:50)
British Female Pilots WW2 - just watch for 5-10 minutes
Write 3-5 bullet notes of important or surprising information that you learn