French resistance against the Nazi German occupation and the Vichy French puppet government increased drastically in the weeks leading up to the Dragoon landings . To fight the uprising , German units committed numerous atrocities and war crimes against French fighters , as well as civilians , in retaliatory acts . On 9June , after an attack on the German garrison at Tulle , the 2nd SS Panzer Division hanged about 99 civilians while moving towards northern France during the Tulle massacre . The next day , that division murdered 642 civilians in Oradour-sur-Glane during the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre and then proceeded to plunder and burn the town . German units also worked together with French collaborators to subdue partisans , for example against the partisan base at the Vercors massif , but with little lasting result
Tulle massacre
Tulle massacre
Operation Dragoon