Suite Francaise

German Occupation of France
The German occupation of France in World War II occurred during the period between May 1940 and December 1944. An armistice was signedJune 22, 1940. Under its terms the north and west of France were occupied by the German Army, the remaining one third of the country was ruled by a French government.
The life of the French during the German occupation was marked, from the beginning, by endemic shortages. The armistice forced France to pay for the German troops, which ended up costing twenty million Francs per day. This resulted in a lack of food and raw materials for the French.
Also, there was obligatory work during the occupation. During the German occupation, the Obligatory Work Service (STO) consisted of requisitions and transfer of hundreds of thousands of French workers to Germany against their will, for the German war effort in work camps.

French Resistance
Although the majority of the occupied French did not take part in active resistance, many resisted passively through acts such as listening to the banned BBC, or giving collateral or material aid to Resistance members. Beginning in 1942, many refused to be drafted into the factories and farms of Germany by the STO organization, going underground to avoid imprisonment. The armed underground groups, known as the Maquis, fought against the Germans. After D-Day in June 1944, the French armed resistance groups sabotaged the railway lines, destroying bridges and providing general intelligence that was communicated directly to London via radio within hours.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_occupation_of_France_during_World_War_II