Resistance groups in the occupied zone eventually became linked to the Free French in London or the Special Operations Executive (SOE) set up by Britain to undermine Nazi-occupied Europe with specially trained agents. By May 1941, the northern movements, who specialized in sabotage and espionage and the southern movements, who focused on planning escape routes, developed the only major movement common to both, the Front National. Resistance became closely linked with the effects of the occupation and Vichy legislation and as the working class became alienated "resisters and people on the run could be harboured with a degree of safety" in the rural areas of France, resistance had a role and justification in the lives of many people "who had no ambition to hold a gun, or memorize a coded message, though as the occupation grew in its violence the pressure on the French people to defend themselves by force intensified, and the military nature of resistance came to predominate".The connection between the Vichy government and armed resistance paved the way for the eventual formation of the Maquis.
resistance groups in the occupied zone eventually became linked to the free french in london or the special operations executive (soe) set up by britain to undermine nazi-occupied europe with specially trained agents by may 1941 the northern movements who specialized in sabotage and espionage and the southern movements who focused on planning escape routes developed the only major movement common to both the front national resistance became closely linked with the effects of the occupation and vichy legislation and as the working class became alienated "resisters and people on the run could be harboured with a degree of safety" in the rural areas of france resistance had a role and justification in the lives of many people "who had no ambition to hold a gun or memorize a coded message though as the occupation grew in its violence the pressure on the french people to defend themselves by force intensified and the military nature of resistance came to predominate"the connection between the vichy government and armed resistance paved the way for the eventual formation of the maquis