ABSTRACT
Resistance in the German-occupied countries ranged from a refusal to read Nazi newspapers to organized armed struggle. Resistance fighters gathered and transmitted military intelligence to the Allied commands, printed and disseminated anti-Nazi newspapers and leaflets, sabotaged the German economic war effort. Partisan warfare aimed above all at disrupting lines of supply and communications, at creating a general climate of insecurity, compelling the Axis powers to divert some of their forces from the main theaters of war. The story of the resistance movement in the various countries, its achievements and many setbacks has been amply documented; resistance organization, political views, activities and way of life have been studied in the greatest detail. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of partisan warfare is still in dispute. The claims made by the partisans as to the damage and the losses inflicted on the enemy are often ridiculously high.
